Identification, cloning, and expression analysis of three phytoene synthase genes from Cucurbita pepo

Á. Obrero, C. I. González-Verdejo, B. Román, P. Gómez, J. V. Die, C. Ampomah-Dwamena

Biologia plantarum 59:201-210, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0504-3  

An essential step in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway is the formation of phytoene by phytoene synthase (PSY). In this study, three new genes coding PSYs (CpPSYA, CpPSYB, and CpPSYC) were cloned from Cucurbita pepo and their expression patterns analysed in three cultivars of summer squash which had a different carotenoid content. The gene sequences had a high similarity with those from other plant species, and their predicted proteins were significantly different from each other. A phylogenetic analysis indicates that CpPSYA and CpPSYB shared a high homology and were also homologous with PSYs from others cucurbits, whereas...

Cloning and characterization of four novel SnRK2 genes from Triticum polonicum

Y. Wang, X. Wang, M. Gu, H. Kang, J. Zeng, X. Fan, L. Sha, H. Zhang, K. Yu, Y. Zhou

Biologia plantarum 59:211-219, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0501-6  

SnRK2 are plant-specific serine/threonine kinases that are involved in plant responses to abiotic stresses. In this study, four novel genes SnRK2s:TpSnRK2.11, TpSnRK2.2, TpSnRK2.5, and TpSnRK2.10 from dwarf Polish wheat (Triticum polonicum L.) were characterized and classified into three groups. TpSnRK2.5 and TpSnRK2.11 were members of group 1; TpSnRK2.2 was member of group 2; TpSnRK2.10 belonged to group 3. The expression of TpSNRK2.2 was strongly regulated by polyethylene glycol (PEG), NaCl, and cold in roots and leaves, as well as by ABA in leaves. The transcript of TpSnRK2.5 was intensely...

Molecular characterization of several Wx alleles in durum wheat

R. Ortega, C. Guzmán, J. B. Alvarez

Biologia plantarum 59:220-226, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0507-0  

The Wx gene, which encodes waxy proteins, is the sole gene responsible for amylose synthesis in the wheat seed endosperm. In this study, we characterized, at the molecular level, several Wx alleles in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum Desf.) that had previously been catalogued at the protein level. Our data show a misclassification of the alleles in both Wx genes: Wx-A1 alleles from Blanqueta (Wx-A1a) and Astrodur (Wx-A1b) have been reclassified as Wx-A1a and Wx-A1h, respectively. A sequence comparison of the Wx-B1e allele shows that there were up to five different...

Genomic structure and characterization of a lipase class 3 gene and promoter from oil palm

A. W. Nurniwalis, R. Zubaidah, A. Siti Nor Akmar, H. Zulkifli, M. A. Mohamad Arif, F. J. Massawe, K. L. Chan, G. K. A. Parveez

Biologia plantarum 59:227-236, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0500-7  

Lipase class 3 is part of the triacylglycerol lipase family involved in lipid degradation, esterification, and transesterification processes in plants. In this study, a lipase class 3 gene and promoter from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) were isolated and characterized by Northern blot, Southern blot, oil palm genome sequence, and transient expression GUS assay. The full-length lipase class 3 (FLL1) deduced polypeptide encoded 483 amino acids and was identical to that deduced from lipase (EgLip1) cDNA (GI: 409994625). It contained the lipase consensus sequence, GxSxG motif, and a putative catalytic triad and had a 3-dimensional protein model...

Expression of DORMANCY-ASSOCIATED MADS-BOX (DAM)-like genes in apple

N. Mimida, T. Saito, T. Moriguchi, A. Suzuki, S. Komori, M. Wada

Biologia plantarum 59:237-244, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0503-4  

Apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) is a perennial woody plant that undergoes a period of dormancy (in cv. Jonathan between late September and mid-December) to survive freezing temperatures of winter. DORMANCY-ASSOCIATED MADS-BOX (DAM) genes play important roles in the regulation of growth cessation and terminal bud formation in peach. To understand the role of DAM orthologs in apple, we isolated and characterized four DAM-like genes (designated as MdDAMa, MdDAMb, MdDAMc, and MdDAMd) and monitored their expression in apical buds throughout the season by real-time quantitative polymerase...

ICE genes in Arabidopsis thaliana: clinal variation in DNA polymorphism and sequence diversification

A. Kurbidaeva, M. Novokreshchenova, T. Ezhova

Biologia plantarum 59:245-252, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0497-y  

Natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana exhibit a clinal variation in freezing tolerance following temperature changes across the natural habitat. Here we performed molecular evolution and population genetic analyses of homologous INDUCER OF CBF EXPRESSION1 (ICE1) and ICE2 genes, the master regulators of plant cold response. A study of ICE genes polymorphism was performed using 60 A. thaliana ecotypes grouped according to their geographic origin. The genetic diversity of ICE2 was characterized by a high number of haplotypes and an overall high diversity. The levels of nonsynonymous nucleotide polymorphism...

Genome-wide identification and characterization of the DREB transcription factor gene family in mulberry

X. Q. Liu, J. J. Zhu, C. J. Wei, Q. Guo, C. K. Bian, Z. H. Xiang, A. C. Zhao

Biologia plantarum 59:253-265, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0498-x  

The dehydration responsive element binding (DREB) transcription factor (TF) family comprises unique and important proteins involved in abiotic stress responses and tolerance in plants. Although DREB TFs have been well identified and characterized in a few model plants, there is no detailed information available for mulberry. In this study, 110 AP2/ERF family genes were identified based on a genome-wide analysis of the Morus genome database. Among them, 30 Morus notabilis DREB family genes (MnDREBs) were identified. A comparative analysis with DREB gene families from other plants suggests that MnDREBs could be divided...

Analysis of DNA cytosine methylation patterns in maize hybrids and their parents

L.-F. Sun, T.-J. Liu, X.-H. Shan, S.-Z. Su, S.-P. Li, Y.-P. Yuan, J. Zhang

Biologia plantarum 59:266-272, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0490-5  

In order to better understand the molecular basis of heterosis in maize, the methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism method was used to estimate patterns of cytosine methylation in seedling roots and leaves and 15-d postfertilization embryo and endosperm tissues of hybrids and their parental lines Zheng58 and Chang7-2. In all tissues, total relative methylation levels in the hybrids were lower than corresponding mid-parent values, with a higher number of demethylation events inferred for the hybrids. The trend of reduced methylation and increased demethylation in the hybrids relative to their parents may allow de-repression and possibly the...

Anther proteomic characterization in temperature sensitive Bainong male sterile wheat

Y. -Y. Li, Y. Li, Q. -G. Fu, H. -H. Sun, Z. -G. Ru

Biologia plantarum 59:273-282, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0486-1  

Male sterile line is a useful material for hybridization, but its sterility mechanism, especially proteomic profile, is still not entirely clear. In wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), a male sterile Bainong (BNS) genotype whose sterility could be manipulated by temperature was recently selected. We focused on the proteomic profile change of anthers from the male sterile line (SL) and its conversional line (CL). Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF-MS technologies were utilized for proteomic profiles analysis. Differently abundant protein spots (over 2-fold, P < 0.05) were selected for identification analysis. Compared to CL,...

QTL mapping for salt tolerance in barley at seedling growth stage

H. Ahmadi-Ochtapeh, H. Soltanloo, S. S. Ramezanpour, M. R. Naghavi, H. R. Nikkhah, S. Yoosefi Rad

Biologia plantarum 59:283-290, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0496-z  

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), an important food and fodder crop, is potentially tolerant to salinity. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling salt tolerance, the population of 162 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from F8 generation of Arigashar (an extremely salt tolerant Iranian six-rowed barley landrace) crossed with Igri (a salt semi-sensitive two-rowed cultivar) were evaluated. The growth of shoots, roots, and coleoptiles, and root numbers are four important growth characteristics severely affected by salt stress at seedling growth stages. A linkage map was constructed using 106 AFLP and SSR markers spanning six barley...

Mapping of QTLs associated with abscisic acid and water stress in wheat

M. N. Barakat, M. S. Saleh, A. A. Al-Doss, K. A. Moustafa, A. A. Elshafei, A. M. Zakri, F. H. Al-Qurainy

Biologia plantarum 59:291-297, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0499-9  

A segregating F4 population from the cross between drought sensitive (Yecora Rojo) and drought tolerant (Pavon 76) genotypes was made to identify molecular markers linked to a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) abscisic acid (ABA) content at two water regimes. The parents and 150 F₄ lines were evaluated phenotypically for drought tolerance using two irrigation treatments [0.25 and 0.75 m³(H₂O) m^-2(soil)]. Forty different target region amplification polymorphism (TRAP) primer combinations, 98 different sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) primer combinations, and 400 simple sequence repeat (SSR)...

Characterization of genes coding phenylalanine ammonia lyase and chalcone synthase in four Pogostemon cablin cultivars

S. Zeng, P. Ouyang, X. Mo, Y. Wang

Biologia plantarum 59:298-304, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0493-2  

Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth is a medicinal plant rich in terpenoids and flavonoids. Currently, the molecular mechanism of flavonoid biosynthesis in P. cablin remains unclear. In this study, three copies of the phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) gene designated as PcPAL1 - PcPAL3, one copy of the chalcone synthase (CHS) gene referred to as PcCHS, and four copies of the CHS-like gene referred to as PcCHSL1 - PcCHSL4 were isolated from P. cablin. PcPAL1, PcPAL2, and PcPAL3 comprised 2 136, 2 136, and 2 148 bp full-length open reading frames...

Overexpression of the genes coding ascorbate peroxidase from Brassica campestris enhances heat tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

C. M. Chiang, H. L. Chien, L. F. O. Chen, T. C. Hsiung, M. C. Chiang, S. P. Chen, K. H. Lin

Biologia plantarum 59:305-315, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0489-y  

Previously, the ascorbate peroxidase (APX1) activity and gene expression in Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris, Bc) heat-tolerant cv. ASVEG2 were found to be significantly higher than in heat-sensitive cv. RN720 under a heat stress. Furthermore, BcAPX2 and BcAPX3, isoforms of BcAPX1, were cloned in this study. Our objective was to transfer BcAPX cDNA under the control of the ubiquitin promoter to Arabidopsis via Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain GV3101. We found that BcAPX genes were overexpressed in transgenic Arabidopsis, and the expression of APX, and the APX activity in transgenic...

Identification of a putative stearoyl acyl-carrier-protein desaturase gene from Saussurea involucrata

H. -L. Liu, H. -T. Shen, C. Chen, X. -R. Zhou, H. Liu, J. -B. Zhu

Biologia plantarum 59:316-324, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0487-0  

Saussurea involucrata Kar. et Kir. tolerates severe abiotic stresses including cold, and the level of membrane fatty acid desaturation is associated with its cold acclimation. We discovered and characterized a full-length cDNA of stearoyl acyl-carrier-protein desaturase (sikSACPD) which encodes a protein consisted of 396 amino acids. A sequence alignment of the SikSACPD protein showed that it shares 91 and 86 % identity with the SACPDs of Carthamus tinctorius and Helianthus annuus, respectively. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that the expression of sikSACPD increased in S. involucrata leaves...

Anthocyanin accumulation rate and the biosynthesis related gene expression in Dioscorea alata

J. M. Yin, R. X. Yan, P. T. Zhang, X. Y. Han, L. Wang

Biologia plantarum 59:325-330, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0502-5  

In this study, the anthocyanin content and real-time quantitative expression of the anthocyanin biosynthesis-related genes were investigated in leaves, stems, and tubers of purple yam (Dioscorea alata L.). The anthocyanin content, its accumulation, and the expression of genes encoding phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), flavanone-3-hydroxylase (F3H), anthocyanidin synthase (ANS), and UDP-glycose flavonoid glycosyl transferase (UFGT) were studied. The anthocyanin content in the leaves and stems was high at early stages of growth, but it decreased and remained at a similar level from the 35^th day onward. The anthocyanin content in the...

Effect of ochratoxin A and buthionine sulfoximine on proteome and ascorbate-glutathione cycle enzymes in Arabidopsis thaliana

J. R. Hao, Y. Wang, W. W. Zhao, W. T. Xu, Y. B. Luo, Z. J. Yang, W. H. Wu, Z. H. Liang, K. L. Huang

Biologia plantarum 59:331-340, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0492-3  

In this study, proteome and activities of glutathione (GSH)-related enzymes were investigated in detached leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana treated with ochratoxin A (OTA) alone or supplemented with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO, a specific inhibitor of the first step in GSH biosynthesis). A comparative proteomic study using two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF MS/MS) identified 12 differentially expressed proteins mainly involved in GSH metabolism, energy metabolism, sugar metabolism, and photosynthesis. The treatment with OTA significantly enhanced...

Alterations in the porphyrin biosynthesis and antioxidant responses to chilling and heat stresses in Oryza sativa

T. -H. Phung, S. Jung

Biologia plantarum 59:341-349, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0505-2  

Roles of an altered porphyrin biosynthesis and antioxidants in protection against chilling and heat stresses were evaluated in rice (Oryza sativa L.). When exposed to the same exposure time (6 or 30 h), heat-stressed (45 °C) plants exhibited a less oxidative stress as indicated by a lower dehydration, ion leakage, and H₂O₂ production compared to chilling-stressed (4 °C) plants. Malondialdehyde production also increased after a mild chilling stress, whereas it increased only after a long-term heat stress. The content of protoporphyrin IX, Mg-protoporphyrin IX and its methyl ester, and protochlorophyllide drastically declined...

Amelioration of oxidative damage in Solanum melongena seedlings by 24-epibrassinolide during chilling stress and recovery

X. X. Wu, H. D. Ding, J. L. Chen, Z. W. Zhu, D. S. Zha

Biologia plantarum 59:350-356, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0495-0  

The effects of foliar application of 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) on chlorophyll content, oxidative damage, and antioxidant capacity in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) seedlings during a short-term chilling stress and subsequent recovery were investigated. The eggplant seedlings pretreated with 0.1 μM EBR were exposed to 5 °C for 12 h in the dark and then recovered under a normal temperature for another 12 h. The results show that EBR alleviated a chilling-induced oxidative stress reflected by a decrease in malondialdehyde and H₂O₂ content, O₂ ^.- production rate, and an increase in chlorophyll content...

Effect of dehydration on spectral reflectance and photosynthetic efficiency in Umbilicaria arctica and U. hyperborea

M. Barták, K. Trnková, E. S. Hansen, J. Hazdrová, K. Skácelová, J. Hájek, M. Forbelská

Biologia plantarum 59:357-365, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0506-1  

In many polar and alpine ecosystems, lichens of genus Umbilicaria represent dominant species forming community structure. Photosynthetic and spectral properties of the lichens may change rapidly according to an actual hydration status of their thalli. In this study, we investigated responses of photochemical reflectance index (PRI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), effective quantum yield of photosynthetic efficiency of photosystem (PS) II (Φ_PSII), and several photosynthetic parameters derived from fast induction kinetics of chlorophyll fluorescence (OJIP) to controlled dehydration. We used U. arctica and...

Cotton leaf gas exchange responses to irradiance and leaf aging

F. R. Echer, C. A. Rosolem

Biologia plantarum 59:366-372, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0484-3  

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) net photosynthetic rate (P_N) decreased with leaf age and low irradiance, and the interaction of these factors might lead to decreased yields mainly in crops with a high plant density. Shade decreased leaf gas exchange, mainly in young leaves, which did not recover after exposure to an increasing irradiance. Old leaves reached P_N saturation at a lower irradiance than young leaves. Also stomatal conductance decreased with leaf age and shading. Intercellular CO₂ concentration and irradiance were inversely related. The responses of P_N to irradiance decreased as leaf aged,...

Methyl jasmonate alleviates cadmium toxicity in Solanum nigrum by regulating metal uptake and antioxidative capacity

Z. Yan, W. Zhang, J. Chen, X. Li

Biologia plantarum 59:373-381, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0491-4  

The growth of the Cd-hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum L. and its physiological responses to a short-term (7 d) Cd stress and to exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) were investigated. Compared with the leaves of S. nigrum, the roots were more liable to Cd and showed a significantly decreased dry mass and increased malondialdehyde content. Cd accumulation in the shoots and roots of S. nigrum were proportional to the Cd concentration in the hydroponic solution. The application of a low concentration of MeJA (0.01 μM) significantly reduced the translocation/accumulation of Cd in both the shoots and roots compared with a 40 mg dm^-3...

Effects of acclimation and pretreatment with abscisic acid or salicylic acid on tolerance of Trigonobalanus doichangensis to extreme temperatures

Y. L. Zheng, W. Q. Li, W. B. Sun

Biologia plantarum 59:382-388, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0488-z  

The effects of acclimation to cold (4 °C) and heat (36/38/40 °C) on corresponding freezing and heat tolerances of one-year-old Trigonobalanus doichangensis seedlings were studied. In addition, the effects of abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA) pretreatments on the tolerance of this species to temperature extremes were tested. The results show that the content of soluble sugars increased with the duration of acclimation to cold (4 °C), and the relative electrical conductivity and malondialdehyde content increased significantly after 7 d; however, the content of proline did not vary significantly. After acclimation to cold for 3 and 7...

Marker-trait associations for survival, growth, and flowering components in Eucalyptus cladocalyx under arid conditions

P. Ballesta, F. Mora, E. Ruiz, R. Contreras-Soto

Biologia plantarum 59:389-393, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0459-9  

Understanding the basis of the genetic variations responsible for the complex traits found in Eucalyptus cladocalyx under arid environmental conditions is crucial for designing genetic architecture studies. Forty-five half-sib families from Australia were used to identify inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers that are associated with growth (height, diameter at breast height, and stem straightness), flowering traits (flowering intensity, flowering precocity, reproductive capacity, and late flowering) and tree survival under arid conditions in southern Atacama Desert, Chile. Each DNA pellet consisted of a pool of five trees from each family....

Preparation of vectors with metallothionein gene enriched by additional metal binding domain and their transient expression in Nicotiana tabacum

J. Fi¹er, M. Sura-De Jong, T. Macek

Biologia plantarum 59:394-398, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0485-2  

The issue of finding plants suitable for phytoremediation of inorganic contaminants can be addressed through the preparation of genetically modified plants with an increased metal accumulation potential. A HisCUP gene, which encodes for a yeast metallothionein fused with a polyhistidine tail (His), was chosen for preparation of two plant vectors. These two plant vectors were constructed and a HisCUP gene expression was subsequently investigated. We firstly prepared a vector pNOV2819/RbcS/HisCUP which enabled selection on a mannose medium and contained the HisCUP gene under an inducible Rubisco promoter. Secondly, we designed...

Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic Sequences (CAPS) markers in plant biology

A. Börner, E. Khlestkina

Biologia plantarum 59:399, 2015 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-015-0516-z