Biologia plantarum, 2012 (vol. 56), issue 3

Article

Evaluation of different embryogenic systems for production of true somatic embryos in Arabidopsis

K. Nowak, B. Wojcikowska, K. Szyrajew, M. D. Gaj

Biologia plantarum 56:401-408, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0063-9

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) in Arabidopsis was induced using various systems, including auxin treatment of in vitro cultured explants (immature zygotic embryos, IZEs) and transgenic plants overexpressing embryogenesis-related transcription factors, e.g. LEC2 together with the GUS reporter gene under control of the auxin-induced DR5 promoter. The study indicated that the SE-systems used gave different embryogenic capacities for the production of true embryos. The highest ratio of true embryos (75 %) was found among embryo-like structures in transgenic seedlings overexpressing LEC2. Analysis of in vitro induced...

Arabidopsis thaliana in vitro shoot regeneration is impaired by silencing of TIR1

M. Qiao, Z. -J. Zhao, F. -N. Xiang

Biologia plantarum 56:409-414, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-011-0233-1

Arabidopsis shoots regenerate from root explants through a two-step process consisting of pre-incubation on an auxin-rich callus induction medium (CIM), followed by transfer to a cytokinin-rich shoot induction medium (SIM). The auxin receptor gene TIR1 was up-regulated when explants were transferred to SIM. The CIM pre-incubation is required for its up-regulation. The tir1-1, TIR1 knockdown mutant, reduced the efficiency of shoot regeneration in tissue culture, while its over-expression mutant significantly improved efficiency. TIR1 promoter::GUS fusion analysis demonstrated that TIR1 expression was in the shoot and...

Identification and characterization of transcripts differentially expressed during embryogenesis in Capsella bursa-pastoris

P. Tao, J. B. Wang

Biologia plantarum 56:415-421, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0058-6

Large-scale gene expression analyses were conducted during embryonic development of Capsella bursa-pastoris using the cDNA-AFLP technique, and 231 differentially expressed genes were identified. Most of the transcript-derived fragments (TDFs) were identified against Arabidopsis sequences and a minority against other plant sequences by searching in NCBI database. A total of 128 TDFs, homologous to genes with known functions, were classified into 13 functional categories, and many of them were involved in transcription, metabolism, disease defense and protein binding. Expression profiles of 90 C. bursa-pastoris genes were...

Involvement of G6PDH in heat stress tolerance in the calli from Przewalskia tangutica and Nicotiana tabacum

H. Gong, G. Chen, F. Li, X. Wang, Y. Hu, Y. Bi

Biologia plantarum 56:422-430, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0072-8

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) has been implicated in supplying reduced nicotine amide cofactors for biochemical reactions and in modulating the redox state of cells. In this study, the role of G6PDH in thermotolerance of the calli from Przewalskia tangutica and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) was investigated. Results showed that Przewalskia tangutica callus was more sensitive to heat stress than tobacco callus. The activity of G6PDH and antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase) in calli from Przewalskia tangutica and tobacco increased after 40 °C treatment, although...

Expression of GFP-mTalin reveals an actin-related role for the Arabidopsis Class II formin AtFH12

F. Cvrčková, M. Grunt, V. Žárský

Biologia plantarum 56:431-440, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0071-9

Formins (FH2 proteins) are implicated in F-actin nucleation and other aspects of cytoskeletal organization. Plants possess two formin clades, relatively well-described Class I formins and so far poorly characterized Class II formins. Comparison of Class II formin genes of two Arabidopsis species, A. thaliana and A. lyrata, indicates dynamic evolution within the Class II formin clade. Disruption of an outlier A. thaliana Class II formin gene, AtFH12 (At1g42980), whose expression is induced by NaCl, produced only negligible phenotypic effects under a variety of conditions, including salt stress, suggesting functional...

Isolation and molecular characterization of cinnamate 4-hydroxylase from apricot and plum

A. Pina, T. Zhebentyayeva, P. Errea, A. Abbott

Biologia plantarum 56:441-450, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0114-2

Cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) is the second enzyme in the phenylpropanoid pathway which participates in the synthesis of numerous phenylpropanoid compounds such as flavonoids, lignins, suberins and others. We identified a gene putatively coding for Class I C4H in apricot and plum and we analyzed the expression pattern of this gene under different apricot/plum graft combinations with different degree of compatibility. The full-length cDNA is 1 739 bp with a 1 515 bp open reading frame encoding a protein of 504 amino acids. Like other C4Hs, the predicted C4H polypeptides included conserved domains of cytochrome P450. The genomic sequence of...

Engineering ascorbic acid biosynthetic pathway in Arabidopsis leaves by single and double gene transformation

Y. Zhou, Q. C. Tao, Z. N. Wang, R. Fan, Y. Li, X. F. Sun, K. X. Tang

Biologia plantarum 56:451-457, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0119-x

Six genes, which encode enzymes involved in ascorbic acid (AsA) biosynthesis, including guanosine diphosphate (GDP)-mannose pyrophosphorylase (GMP), GDP-mannose-3',5'-epimerase (GME), GDP-galactose guanylyltransferase (GGT), L-galactose-1-phosphate phosphatase (GPP), L-galactose dehydrogenase (GDH) and L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (GLDH) were transformed into Arabidopsis thaliana, to evaluate the contribution of each gene to AsA accumulation. Additionally, two combinations, GGT-GPP and GGT-GLDH, were co-transformed into Arabidopsis with a reliable double-gene transformation system. AsA content of GGT transgenic...

The identification of flavonoids and the expression of genes of anthocyanin biosynthesis in the chrysanthemum flowers

S. -M. Chen, C. -H. Li, X. -R. Zhu, Y. -M. Deng, W. Sun, L. -S. Wang, F. -D. Chen, Z. Zhang

Biologia plantarum 56:458-464, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0069-3

In order to provide additional information on the coloration of chrysanthemum flowers, the flavonoid composition and the expression of six structural genes involved in anthocyanin pathway in the ray florets of a pink flowering (cv. H5) and two white flowering (cvs. Keikai and Jinba) Chrysanthemum grandiflorum cultivars were examined. HPLCDAD/ESI-MSn analysis showed that cyanidin 3-O-(6"-O-malonylglucoside) and cyanidin 3-O-(3",6"-O-dimalonylglucoside) were the two major flavonoids presented in H5, while white flowering cultivars contained flavones instead of anthocyanins. Nine flavone derivatives were detected...

Divergence of TERMINAL FLOWER1-like genes in Rosaceae

N. Mimida, J. Li, C. Zhang, S. Moriya, Y. Moriya-Tanaka, H. Iwanami, C. Honda, H. Oshino, K. Takagishi, A. Suzuki, S. Komori, M. Wada

Biologia plantarum 56:465-472, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0113-3

Rosaceae is a large family, however, our understanding of its phylogeny is based largely on morphological observations. To understand the relationship between subfamilies Rosoideae, Amygdaloideae, Maloideae and Spiraeoideae at a molecular level, we isolated and compared the plant phosphatidyl ethanolamine-binding protein-like genes TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1)-like and CENTRORADIALIS (CEN)-like, which are involved in the control of shoot meristem identity and flowering time. A comparison of gene structures and phylogenetic tree analyses by the Neighbor-Joining method showed that each of the two TFL1-like...

Identification of genes involved in a water stress response in timothy and mapping of orthologous loci in perennial ryegrass

K. Jonavičienė, B. Studer, T. Asp, L. B. Jensen, V. Paplauskienė, S. Lazauskas, G. Brazauskas

Biologia plantarum 56:473-483, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0110-6

In order to characterize the response of selected grasses to water stress, relative water content (RWC) in leaves and quantum efficiency of photosystem 2 (Fv/Fm) were measured in Phleum pratense L., P. bertolonii DC. and P. phleoides H. Karst. during 6 d of water stress. The results indicated differential responses to water stress among the three Phleum species with higher water deficit sensitivity of P. pratense and P. bertolonii than that of P. phleoides. The cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) technique was applied to identify differentially expressed genes...

Isolation and expression of a cold-responsive gene PtCBF in Poncirus trifoliata and isolation of citrus CBF promoters

L. G. He, H. L. Wang, D. C. Liu, Y. J. Zhao, M. Xu, M. Zhu, G. Q. Wei, Z. H. Sun

Biologia plantarum 56:484-492, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0059-5

C-repeat/dehydration-responsive element binding factor (CBF) plays important roles in cold response network in plants. Here, one member of CBF coding gene family in trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata), designated as PtCBF, was isolated. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions showed up-regulation of PtCBF not only under low temperature but also induced by abscisic acid. Additionally, the CBF genomic fragments in four citrus species including trifoliate orange, sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), pummel (Citrus grandis) and rough lemon (Citrus jambhiri) were isolated with complete...

Ectopic expression of peanut acyl carrier protein in tobacco alters fatty acid composition in the leaf and resistance to cold stress

G. -Y. Tang, L. -Q. Wei, Z. -J. Liu, Y. -P. Bi, L. Shan

Biologia plantarum 56:493-501, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0057-7

Acyl carrier protein (ACP), as an essential protein cofactor, plays an important role in de novo synthesis of fatty acids in plastids. In this study, the expression profile of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) AhACP1-1 and AhACP1-2 was analyzed in different tissues. The expression level of AhACP1-1 was highest in the seed, whereas expression was barely detected in the shoot, and AhACP1-2 was expressed in every tissue analyzed with the highest expression level detected in the leaf and seed. Overexpression (OE) and antisense-inhibition (AT) of AhACP1 in transgenic tobacco modified the transcript level of endogenous...

cDNA-AFLP analysis reveals a set of new genes differentially expressed in cucumber root apexes in response to iron deficiency

G. Vigani, A. Chittó, P. De Nisi, G. Zocchi

Biologia plantarum 56:502-508, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0050-1

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is considered a model plant for the investigation of Fe deficiency responses, since it strongly exhibits typical strategy I, i.e. increased activities of Fe(III)-chelate reductase, H+-ATPase and iron regulated transporters. In this study, cDNA amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis was employed to identify genes differentially expressed in the root apex following Fe deficiency. The expression patterns of the most interesting transcript derived fragments were validated by semiquantitative reverse trascriptase - polymerase chain reaction. A set of new genes overexpressed under Fe deficiency,...

Improved drought resistance in a wheat stay-green mutant tasg1 under field conditions

F. X. Tian, J. F. Gong, G. P. Wang, G. K. Wang, Z. Y. Fan, W. Wang

Biologia plantarum 56:509-515, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0049-7

We investigated the drought resistance of a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) stay-green mutant tasg1 and its wild-type (WT) in field experiments conducted for two years. Drought stress was imposed by controlling irrigation and sheltering the plants from rain. Compared with the WT, tasg1 exhibited a distinct delayed senescence under both normal and drought stress conditions, as indicated by slower degradation of chlorophyll and decrease in net photosynthetic rate than in WT. At the same time, tasg1 mutants maintained more integrated chloroplasts and thylakoid ultrastructure than did WT plants under drought stress. Lower malondialdehyde...

Over-expressing GsGST14 from Glycine soja enhances alkaline tolerance of transgenic Medicago sativa

Z. -Y. Wang, F. -B. Song, H. Cai, Y. -M. Zhu, X. Bai, W. Ji, Y. Li, Y. Hua

Biologia plantarum 56:516-520, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0075-5

Glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs) are ubiquitous enzymes that play a key role in stress tolerance and cellular detoxification. The GST gene GsGST14 selected from the gene expression profiles of Glycine soja under alkaline stress was transformed into alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Transgenic alfalfa plants showed 1.73-1.99 times higher GST activity than wild-type plants. Transgenic alfalfa grew well in the presence of 100 mM NaHCO3, while wild-type plants exhibited chlorosis and stunted growth, even death. There were marked changes in malondialdehyde content and relative membrane permeability caused by alkaline stress...

The development of stomata and other epidermal cells on the rice leaves

L. Luo, W. -Q. Zhou, P. Liu, C. -X. Li, S. -W. Hou

Biologia plantarum 56:521-527, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0045-y

In the leaves of rice (Oryza sativa), stomatal initials arose from two asymmetric cell divisions and a symmetric division. Guard mother cells (GMCs) and long cells in stomatal files (LCSs) were formed through the first asymmetric division of the precursor cell of GMCs. Subsidiary cells (SCs) were produced by the second asymmetric division of subsidiary mother cells or LCSs. Following SC formation, GMCs divided once symmetrically to generate guard cells and then differentiated terminally to form mature stomata. The developmental patterns of long cells, prickle hairs and short cells (phellem cells and silica cells) were also examined. Interestingly,...

The role of non-symbiotic haemoglobin and nitric oxide homeostasis in waterlogging tolerance in Vigna species

R. K. Sairam, K. Dharmar, V. Chinnusamy, S. Lekshmy, R. Joshi, P. Bhattacharya

Biologia plantarum 56:528-536, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0064-8

The objective of this study was to examine the role of nitrate reductase, nitric oxide and non-symbiotic hemoglobin in imparting waterlogging tolerance in mung bean genotypes. Experiment was conducted with two cultivated mung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] genotypes T 44 (tolerant) and Pusa Baisakhi (susceptible) and a highly tolerant wild species Vigna luteola (Jacq.) Benth. The content of nitric oxide increased up to 6 d of waterlogging in Vigna luteola and T 44, and up to 4 d of treatment in Pusa Baisakhi. Increase in nitrate reductase (NR) activity was observed only up to 4 d of waterlogging in Vigna luteola and T...

Oligogalacturonides stimulate antioxidant system in alfalfa roots

D. Camejo, M. C. Martí, E. Olmos, W. Torres, F. Sevilla, A. Jiménez

Biologia plantarum 56:537-544, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0107-1

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) roots were treated with 50 and 100 μg cm-3 of oligogalacturonide (OGA) solutions with a degree of polymerization between 7 and 15. Changes in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) as well as ascorbate (ASC) content were determined in crude extract of alfalfa roots after 30, 60 and 120 min of treatment. An increase in the SOD activity was observed in roots treated with 50 and 100 μg cm-3 OGA, which could be related to its O2 .-...

Chalcone isomerase in grape vine: gene expression and localization in the developing fruit

W. Wang, H. -L. Wang, S. -B. Wan, J. -H. Zhang, P. Zhang, J. -C. Zhan, W. -D. Huang

Biologia plantarum 56:545-550, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-011-0216-2

Chalcone isomerase (CHI, EC 5.5.1.6) is an entrance enzyme in the flavonoid biosynthesis, which catalyzes the conversion of chalcones to flavanones. In this study, the full-length CHI cDNA from grape vine (Vitis vinifera L.) was cloned, the recombinant protein was purified and the polyclonal antibody was prepared. Using these tools, the expression and tissue localization of CHI in developing grape berry was analyzed by RT-PCR, gel blot hybridization and immunohistochemical techniques. The expression of CHI was dependent on developmental stage, and CHI protein was mainly distributed in vascular bundles throughout all the stages of berry...

Changes in apoplast protein pattern suggest an early role of cell wall structure remodelling in flagellin-triggered basal immunity

E. Szabó, Á. Szatmári, É. Hunyadi-Gulyás, E. Besenyei, L. R. Zsiros, Z. Bozsó, P. G. Ott

Biologia plantarum 56:551-559, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-011-0226-0

The leaf apoplast is a dynamic compartment in contact with plant pathogenic bacteria after infection. Among the very first interaction events is the receptor-mediated perception of bacterial surface molecules such as flagellin or other conserved microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs). Apoplast proteins likely play a role in basal resistance (BR) or pattern-triggered immunity (PTI). Here, a proteomic approach was carried out on water soluble - potentially the most mobile - apoplast proteins from flagellin-treated tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaves. As the quickness of BR/PTI seems crucial for its efficacy, samples were taken as early as...

A positive regulatory role of the watermelon ClWRKY70 gene for disease resistance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

S. M. Cho, E. Y. Kang, K. H. Min, Y. K. Lee, Y. C. Kim, K. Y. Yang, K. S. Kim, Y. S. Choi, B. H. Cho

Biologia plantarum 56:560-565, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0070-x

A pathogen-inducible WRKY cDNA was cloned from the leaves of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) seedlings 24 h after inoculation with Cladosporium cucumerinum. The deduced protein of the gene, designated as ClWRKY70, was classified as a group III WRKY protein based on its single WRKY domain containing a Cys2HisCys zinc-finger motif. Its Arabidopsis thaliana sequence homologue (AtWRKY70) has been described as playing an important role in the plant defense response. ClWRKY70 gene transcripts were highly accumulated in watermelon by salicylic acid treatment, but not by jasmonic acid. By evaluating target gene expression...

Brief Communications

Effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid on the H2O2-content and antioxidative enzyme gene expression in NaCl-treated cucumber seedlings

A. Zhen, Z. L. Bie, Y. Huang, Z. X. Liu, M. L. Fan

Biologia plantarum 56:566-570, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0118-y

The potential of 5-aminolevulenic acid (ALA) to enhance the salt tolerance of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings was investigated. ALA was applied at various concentrations (0, 1, 10, 25, 50, and 100 mg dm-3) as foliar spray or root watering. Then the seedlings were exposed to 0 or 75 mM NaCl for 5 d. NaCl stress reduced the root and leaf dry masses, leaf area, and the leaf net CO2 assimilation rate. These reductions were counteracted by exogenous ALA, and the most efficient was 50 mg dm-3 concentration via foliar spray. ALA decreased the H2O2 contents and increased the activities...

Inducible expression of the gene of Zinnia elegans coding for extracellular ribonuclease in Nicotiana tabacum plants

E. A. Trifonova, A. V. Romanova, S. S. Sangaev, M. V. Sapotsky, V. I. Malinovsky, A. V. Kochetov

Biologia plantarum 56:571-574, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-011-0206-4

The gene of Zinnia elegans L. coding for S-like extracellular ribonuclease (ZRNase II) was used to produce transgenic tobacco plants with an increased ribonuclease activity. The protein-coding part of ZRNase II included the signal peptide sequence so the transgenic protein was located extracellularly. The cDNA of ZRNase II was cloned under the control of 2'-promoter of the mannopine synthase (MAS 2') gene from Ti-plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. It was shown that the resultant transgenic plants had an increased ribonuclease activity of the crude extracts and the induction of MAS 2' promoter by wounding additionally...

Salinity affects indirectly nitrate acquisition associated with glutamine accumulation in cowpea roots

J. A. G. Silveira, A. R. B. Melo, M. O. Martins, S. L. Ferreira-Silva, R. M. Aragão, E. N. Silva, R. A. Viégas

Biologia plantarum 56:575-580, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0065-7

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that salinity can affect indirectly the nitrate acquisition by a negative modulation triggered by glutamine accumulation. Cowpea plants were exposed to a mild NaCl concentration (50 mM) in order to restrict growth and N-demand. After 21 d, pretreated plants and control plants were supplied with 0, 5 and 10 mM of Ca(NO3)2 for 3 d in absence of NaCl. Salt pretreated plants showed a great limitation in acquisition of NO3 -, indicated by decline in the nitrate uptake rate, NO3 - accumulation, nitrate reductase activity and protein content....

Indole-3-acetic acid accumulation during poplar rhizogenesis revealed by immunohistochemistry

N. G. Dong, W. L. Yin, Y. Gao, D. Pei

Biologia plantarum 56:581-584, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-011-0230-4

Poplar hybrid 741 [Populus alba × (P. davidiana + P. simonii) × P. tomentosa] leaves were rooted within 8 d when cultured in vitro on 1/2 Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. The spatial distribution of endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in the rhizogenesis was investigated, using an immunohistochemical approach. In addition, the effect of 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA) on IAA distribution was also analyzed. The results showed that a strong IAA signal was detected in the vascular bundles of the basal regions of the petioles 3 d after root induction. Furthermore, the signal in vascular bundles of the basal regions...

Cloning and characterization of paleoAP3-like MADS-box gene in London plane tree

Z. Li, G. Liu, J. Zhang, S. Lu, S. Yi, M. Bao

Biologia plantarum 56:585-589, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0112-4

We isolated PaAP3, a homolog of the class B MADS-box transcription factor gene APETALA3 (AP3), from the monoecious plant London plane tree (Platanus acerifolia Willd.). PaAP3 encodes a protein that shares good levels of identity with class B genes from Arabidopsis thaliana (35 and 51 % identity with PISTILLATA (PI) and AP3, respectively), and also with class B genes of other woody species (59 % identity with PTD from Populus trichocarpa and 66 % with TraAP3 from Trochodendron aralioides). Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction showed that PaAP3...

Polyamine content during minimal growth storage of Thymus moroderi explants

A. Marco-Medina, J. L. Casas

Biologia plantarum 56:590-594, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0061-y

The polyamine (PA) content of in vitro-grown explants of Thymus moroderi Pau ex Martínez has been evaluated during minimal growth storage. The growth restriction was imposed by the combined action of osmotically-active compounds (15 g dm-3 sucrose and 15 g dm-3 mannitol) present in the Murashige and Skoog medium and the modification of the physical environment of the culture (4 °C and darkness). In these conditions, cultures were maintained up to 29 weeks without subculture. During this storage period, we analyzed contents of free, perchloric acid (PCA)-soluble and PCA-insoluble conjugated PA. Minimal growth...

Imaging of early conifer embryogenic tissues with the environmental scanning electron microscope

V. Neděla, J. Hřib, B. Vooková

Biologia plantarum 56:595-598, 2012 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-012-0062-x

This article describes the usage of non-commercial environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) for the visualization of plant extracellular matrix in Abies alba and Abies numidica. Non sputter-coated samples free of using the common fixation technique observed at the relatively low humidity of the air environment with the pressure 550 Pa and the low temperature of the sample from -18 to -22°C give surprisingly very good results that show the natural structure of the tissues. This seems to be generally applicable. Moreover, a specially designed ionization detector of secondary electrons and a YAG:Ce3+ detector of backscattered...