Hydrothermal synthesis and structural characterization of novel alpha-Keggin unit-supported Cu(II)- and Mn(II)-bipyridine complexes from a tri-lacunary precursor

Blue [{Cu(2,2'-bipy)(2)}(2){alpha-SiW12O40}] (bipy = bipyridyl) (1) and pale yellow [Mn(2,2'-bipy)(3)](2)[alpha-SiW12O40] (2) have been synthesized hydrothermally and characterized by IR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray structure analysis. In 1, the [alpha-SiW12O40](4-) ion acts as a bridge between the two [{Cu(2,2'-bipy)(2)](2+) moieties via coordination through the terminal oxygen atoms, while in 2, the [Mn(2,2'-bipy)(3)](2+) ion balances the charge on the polyoxo anion without forming any covalent bond. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of transition metal-mediated transformation of [alpha-SiW9O34](10-) to [alpha-SiW12O40](4-).

Protein Hydration and Water Structure: X-ray Analysis of a Closely Packed Protein Crystal with Very Low Solvent Content

Low-humidity monoclinic lysozyme, resulting from a water-mediated transformation, has one of the lowest solvent contents (22% by volume) observed in a protein crystal. Its structure has been solved by the molecular replacement method and refined to an R value of 0.175 for 7684 observed reflections in the 10–1.75 Å resolution shell. 90% of the solvent in the well ordered crystals could be located. Favourable sites of hydration on the protein surface include side chains with multiple hydrogen-bonding centres, and regions between short hydrophilic side chains and the main-chain CO or NH groups of the same or nearby residues. Major secondary structural features are not disrupted by hydration. However, the free CO groups at the C terminii and, to a lesser extent, the NH groups at the N terminii of helices provide favourable sites for water interactions, as do reverse turns and regions which connect β-structure and helices. The hydration shell consists of discontinuous networks of water molecules, the maximum number of molecules in a network being ten. The substrate-binding cleft is heavily hydrated, as is the main loop region which is stabilized by water interactions. The protein molecules are close packed in the crystals with a molecular coordination number of 14. Arginyl residues are extensively involved in intermolecular hydrogen bonds and water bridges. The water molecules in the crystal are organized into discrete clusters. A distinctive feature of the clusters is the frequent occurrence of three-membered rings. The protein molecules undergo substantial rearrangement during the transformation from the native to the low-humidity form. The main-chain conformations in the two forms are nearly the same, but differences exist in the side-chain conformation. The differences are particularly pronounced in relation to Trp 62 and Trp 63. The shift in Trp 62 is especially interesting as it is also known to move during inhibitor binding.

Heterologous expression of P5CS gene in chickpea enhances salt tolerance without affecting yield

Vigna Delta(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS) cDNA was transferred to chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivar Annigeri via Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation. Following selection on hygromycin and regeneration, 60 hygromycin-resistant plants were recovered. Southern blot analysis of five fertile independent lines of T0 and T1 generation revealed single and multiple insertions of the transgene. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis of T0 and T1 progeny demonstrated that the P5CS gene is expressed and produced functional protein in chickpea. T1 transgenic lines accumulated higher amount of proline under 250 mM NaCl compared to untransformed controls. Higher accumulation of Na(+) was noticed in the older leaves but negligible accumulation in seeds of T1 transgenic lines as compared to the controls. Chlorophyll stability and electrolyte leakage indicated that proline overproduction helps in alleviating salt stress in transgenic chickpea plants. The T1 transgenics lines were grown to maturity and set normal viable seeds under continuous salinity stress (250 mM) without any reduction in plant yield in terms of seed mass.

BADH基因转化番茄提高耐盐性的研究

甜菜碱是植物在盐、干旱或其它胁迫下在细胞中迅速积累的一种相容性有机小分子化合物，它在细胞中的积累与植物抗盐性的提高密切相关。甜菜碱醛脱氢酶（BADH）催化甜菜碱醛转化为甜菜碱。我们将来源于耐盐植物山菠菜（Atriplx hortensis L.）的BADH基因通过农杆菌介导法导入‘百丽春’番茄(Lycopersicon esculentum L. ‘Bailichun’)中，并获得15株转化植株，PCR、Southern和Northern检测表明，其中的6株有外源BADH基因的整合，5株中BADH基因能够正常表达，但不同植株间BADH基因的表达水平和BADH酶活力有较大差异。对叶片电导率的测定表明，转基因植株比野生型的耐盐性有较大提高。T1代分析表明，检测的两个转基因株系后代遵循孟德尔分离规律，90mmol/L NaCl胁迫下种子发芽率提高了2~4倍，幼苗的苗高、根长和须根数三个指标均明显优于对照。部分T1代植株在水培条件下能够耐受180mmol/L NaCl胁迫。 植物耐盐的另一机理就是利用液泡膜上存在的转运蛋白将细胞内的有毒离子区域化。我们将已转入编码转运蛋白基因AtNHX1的番茄品种‘Moneymaker’（L. esculentum‘Moneymaker’）株系X1OEA1通过农杆菌介导法转入山菠菜BADH基因，以期获得转双基因耐盐番茄。目前已获得转基因植株，PCR结果证明部分抗性幼苗中已整合了BADH基因，其它各项分子检测正在进行中。

农杆菌介导的双价抗盐基因转化番茄的研究

近年来，植物耐盐生物技术研究取得了可喜的进展，特别是通过抗盐基因转化在一定程度上使植物的耐盐性得到了提高。然而，植物的耐盐性是一个多基因控制的复杂性状，依赖于多个基因之间的相互作用。因此，只是将单个基因导入植物获得的抗逆性还是远不能达到满意的效果。一般认为，将多个与耐盐相关的基因转入到同一个植物（即所谓的“复合基因转化”）将会大大提高转基因植物的耐盐能力。 渗透调节是植物抵御盐胁迫的主要方式。植物渗透调节的方式分为两类：一是在细胞中吸收和积累无机盐，如通过离子通道、Na+/H+逆向运输蛋白和ATP酶/H+泵;二是在细胞中合成有机溶质，如脯氨酸和甘氨酸甜菜碱。 我们通过农杆菌介导法向转AtNHX1（拟南芥Na+/H+逆向运输蛋白编码基因）的番茄（Lycopersicum esculentum L. ‘Moneymaker’）株系X1OEA1自交二代植株（T2）中转入山菠菜甜菜碱醛脱氢酶基因（BADH）。PCR、Southern、RT-PCR和甜菜碱含量分析结果证明，BADH已经整合到目标植物基因组，并在转基因植株中转录和翻译表达。叶绿素荧光（Fv/Fm）、相对电导率（Rc/Rc’）、叶绿素含量（Chla+b）、叶绿素a/b比（Chla/b）和光合速率（Pn）测定结果表明，在200 mM NaCl 胁迫下，二次转化的番茄植株各项生理指标均优于转单基因AtNHX1的番茄。初步证明“复合基因转化”有助于进一步提高植物的耐盐性。同时对番茄的转化系统进行了优化，结果表明使用抗生素‘特美汀’作为抑制农杆菌的抗生素的转化效率明显高于使用头孢霉素。

二穗短柄草的遗传转化及VER2等基因在水稻中的功能初探

作为模式植物，水稻和拟南芥对于禾本科植物的研究都有其不足，二穗短柄草（Brachypodiumdistachyon）有望成为它们良好的补充。它具有作为一种模式植物所应该具有的各项优点，并且它与温带禾本科植物的亲缘关系比水稻更近。建立其良好转化体系是其成功应用的一环。本论文第一章以建立其农杆菌转化体系为目的，成功的诱导了其胚性愈伤组织，获得了潮霉素抗性愈伤，发现乙酰丁香酮浓度与转化效率的关系，并证明Silwet L-77对提高其转化效率有明显的作用，为进一步完善其转化体系打下了基础。 VER2是由本实验室发现的小麦春化相关基因，并己证明它可能参与春化过程中O-CJlcNAc介导的信号传导。本论文第二章研究了将VER2在水稻中过表达所引起的表型，发现VER2与光有类似的抑制根生长的作用，并且能够互相影响对方的表型，说明二者在水稻内调控根生长的信号途径既有共同的作用，但是又相互制约。进一步的研究有可能会找到水稻根内IAA响应的重要因子。 在第三章中，根据芯片数据克隆了水稻的十个可能与赤霉素、茉莉酸和减数分裂相关的上下调基因，并对其中四个利用过表达和RNAi技术进行了水稻转化，以研究它们在水稻中的功能。其中一个基因过表达的表型与赤霉素缺陷造成矮化和叶色深绿两个特征一致，而RNAi导致植株高度增加、叶色黄绿。而该基因受赤霉素诱导上调的程度在三个芯片杂交结果中最大(log2=2.3275)这一点也为其功能提供了很好的提示，即可能参与了赤霉素信号途径。

盐角草（Salicornia europaea L.）SePSY和SeLCY基因克隆及功能分析

盐角草（Salicornia europaea L.）是一种叶片退化而茎肉质化，不具有盐腺和盐囊泡的真盐生植物，可以在1020 mM NaCl下生存。其特殊的形态适应特点使其成为研究植物抗盐性的良好实验材料。但目前与盐角草抗盐机理相关的生理和分子方面的研究还非常有限。本文以盐角草为材料，首先探讨了盐分和渗透胁迫对其光合作用和渗透平衡的影响，在此基础上进一步克隆了盐角草类胡萝卜素合成途径中的两个关键酶，八氢番茄红素合成酶（SePSY）和番茄红素β-环化酶（SeLCY）基因，并进行了功能分析。该研究对于了解类胡萝卜素在植物抗盐性中所起的作用具有重要意义。 盐分和渗透胁迫对其光合作用和渗透平衡影响的实验结果表明：200 mM NaCl是盐生植物盐角草生长的最适盐浓度，在该盐度下盐角草中叶绿素a/b的比值和光饱和点升高，植株的光合作用表现出增强的效应，植株生长最佳。而27％ PEG-6000所模拟的渗透胁迫显著降低了盐角草中叶绿色a/b的比值，抑制其光合作用和生长。200 mM NaCl下，Na+的含量显著增加，但脯氨酸含量保持不变，说明Na+对盐角草渗透平衡的作用要强于脯氨酸。同时盐角草中液泡H+-ATPase（V-H+-ATPase）活性增强，而盐角草Na+/H+逆向转运蛋白基因（SeNHX1）在盐分和渗透胁迫下却表现为组成型表达;我们因此推断在盐分胁迫下，Na+的吸收是由于液泡H+-ATPase活性的增强，而不是诱导SeNHX1基因的表达。同时Na+的吸收可能进一步诱导了与光合作用相关基因的表达。 盐分对植物的影响涉及植物体内包括光合作用和活性氧代谢在内的多个代谢过程。在植物中，类胡萝卜素是植物捕光天线复合体（LHC）和光系统反应中心叶绿素结合蛋白的重要组成部分。植物体内类胡萝卜素能够清除植物叶绿体，线粒体和过氧化物体在电子传递过程中产生的活性氧。同时类胡萝卜素是植物激素ABA的前体。200 mM NaCl虽然增加了盐角草细胞的渗透势，但并没有对其造成氧化胁迫和离子毒害，相反提高了其光合能力。类胡萝卜素作为植物活性氧的淬灭剂和光系统的组成成分，可能在盐角草抗盐机理中发挥着比较重要的作用。在过去的十年中，类胡萝卜素研究大多集中在其生物合成和提高作物中类胡萝卜素含量方面，可是，在植物对非生物逆境（如氧化和盐分胁迫）的适应机制中，类胡萝卜素合成途径究竟发挥什么作用目前还不是很清楚。为了了解盐角草中类胡萝卜素合成途径在植物逆境的适应机制中所发挥的作用，本文采用RACE的方法克隆了盐角草类胡萝卜素合成途径中的两个关键酶基因 SePSY和SeLCY，将它们构建到植物表达载体SN1301中，转化拟南芥，并对它们进行了初步的功能分析。 研究发现盐角草SePSY基因全长1655 bp，编码419个氨基酸，推测分子量为47.2 kDa，等电点为8.92。其蛋白在1-65个氨基酸处有一个信号肽。在1-19和242-264氨基酸处有2个跨膜区。盐角草SeLCY基因全长1937 bp，编码498个氨基酸，推测分子量为56.1 kDa，等电点为8.41。其蛋白在1-37个氨基酸处有一个信号肽。在79-96，367-385和454-474氨基酸处有3个跨膜区。SePSY和SeLCY基因过量表达均促进转基因拟南芥的生长，转SePSY基因拟南芥次生根数目比野生型拟南芥明显增多。SePSY和SeLCY基因的过量表达还使转基因拟南芥对百草枯的抗性得到提高;SePSY基 因的过量表达增强了植株体内抗氧化保护酶过氧化物酶（POD），超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性，但过氧化氢酶 （CAT）的变化不显著;转SeLCY基因株系POD，SOD，CAT的活性都有所增强，但转SePSY基因株系中POD活性明显高于 转SeLCY基因株系。转SePSY和SeLCY基因拟南芥叶片中丙二醛（MDA）和H2O2含量均降低，但转SePSY基因株系中MDA和H2O2含量明显低于转SeLCY基因株系。说明转基因拟南芥对氧化胁迫的抗性得到了提高，同时使得光系统II（PSII）和细胞膜的结构和功能不被破坏。而转SePSY基因株系对盐分和氧化胁迫的抗性明显高于转SeLCY基因株系。SePSY和SeLCY基因的过量表达还提高了转基因拟南芥的光合效率，气孔导度和Fv/Fm比值。 SePSY和SeLCY基因转化拟南芥及其功能分析的初步结果表明，SePSY和SeLCY基因的过量表达提高了转基因拟南芥对体内活性氧（ROS）的清除能力，增强了拟南芥的光合能力，进而提高了拟南芥的抗盐性。

SeNHX1和BADH基因提高植物耐盐性的研究

土壤的盐碱化问题已经严重影响到世界范围内许多重要作物的生产。培育耐盐作物是解决这一问题的最有效途经。利用耐盐相关基因的转化可以在不改变或很少改变植物其它性状的情况下提高植物的耐盐性，因此基因工程方法对于改良植物耐盐性及其机理的研究具有重要的意义。目前植物耐盐基因工程从调控渗透调节物质和盐离子区隔化两个方面开展了较多的研究。已经获得一些耐盐性提高的转基因植物。 本研究拟用耐盐性较强植物山菠菜中的甜菜碱合成关键基因BADH和盐生植物盐角草的液泡膜Na+/H+ anitiporter基因SeNHX1对模式植物烟草进行转化，以确定其各自在耐盐性方面所起的作用。同时，现有的研究表明植物的耐盐性是多基因控制的复杂性状，因此拟把SeNHX1和BADH 这两个涉及不同耐盐机理的基因构建到同一个植物表达载体上，以比较单基因转化和双基因转化在提高植物耐盐性方面的优劣。除此之外，并对已经转入BADH基因番茄的耐盐性和遗传稳定性分析进行了研究。 转BADH基因番茄已经稳定遗传到T4世代。通过对5个转BADH基因番茄株系在T0世代、T3世代和T4世代的分析，表明除了株系T4-3由T0世代的3个拷贝变为1个拷贝外，其余各株系拷贝数均没有发生变化。外源基因编码的酶活性和最终催化产物甜菜碱在盐分胁迫下都能较容易的检测到，说明外源基因在番茄基因组中的遗传是稳定的，没有发生丢失。在连续2个世代的耐盐性鉴定中，各转基因株系的耐盐性较为一致，均比野生型有了较大的提高。其中株系T4-5连续2年表现出了较低的减产率，株系T4-8也在连续的2年中表现出了最高的单株产量。盐分胁迫下转BADH基因各个株系比野生型有较高的K+和Ca2+含量，较低的Na+含量，转基因株系较野生型有较低的脐腐病果率。 通过SeNHX1、BADH单独转化以及构建双价载体共转化的方法获得了3种类型的转基因烟草。Southern和Northern 检测结果表明，外源基因已经整合到烟草基因组中，并得到了正确的表达。转BADH基因烟草在盐分胁迫下能检测到明显的BADH酶活性和甜菜碱含量。转基因烟草T0代对盐分胁迫、氧化胁迫的抗性均较野生型对照有较大的提高。转基因株系在200 mM NaCl胁迫下较野生型有较高的光合速度。百草枯处理过的野生型叶盘比转基因株系积累了更多的丙二醛，表明野生型受到了更大的氧化胁迫。 已经获得3种转不同基因烟草的T1代，且T1代具有较强的耐渗透胁迫能力。转基因烟草的T0种子均能在含100 mg/L 卡钠霉素培养基上发芽和正常生长，其中部分种子能够在含200 mM NaCl 培养基上发芽并能较好的生长，而野生型根本不能发芽。从200 mM甘露醇胁迫1周后，又转移到营养液中的生长1周的情况来看，转基因烟草能较快的恢复正常的生长，有新的叶子和根长出，而野生型却不能，同时转基因株系比野生型具有更大的单株鲜重。 转BADH基因番茄在遗传上是稳定的，并且其耐盐性有了较大的提高。双基因转化烟草的抗盐性要好于单基因转化，但SeNHX1基因转化要好于BADH基因转化。说明SeNHX1基因在提高植物耐盐性方面要比BADH基因有更强的功能，同时，也表明多基因转化在植物的耐盐改良方面可能是一个更为有效的方法。

Avaliacoes da infeccao de explantes de feijoeiro por Agrobacterium tumefaciens por meio de microscopia.

Phaseolus vulgaris L. e considerada recalcitrante a transformacao por Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Contudo, alteracoes no meio de co-cultivo, utilizacao de linhagens hipervirulentas de Agrobacterium e de vetores binarios contendo genes vir demostraram que o feijoeiro e susceptivel a essa bacteria. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi estudar o efeito da sonificacao nos tecidos vegetais de feijoeiro, bem como a penetracao da Agrobacterium nas camadas subepidermicas do tecido vegetal, usando a metodologia SAAT ("Sonification-Assisted Agrobacterium-mediated Transformation"). A variedade de feijoeiro utilizada foi a Olathe Pinto, a linhagem de A. tumefaciens foi LBA4404:pTOK.Os embrioes de feijao foram pre-tratados po 14 dias em meio de multibrotacao e, entao submetidos a sonificacao (de 0 ou 60 segundos) na presenca de Agrobacterium. Apos a inoculacao foram co-cultivados por 24 horas em meio liquido seguido de 48 horas em meio solido, ambos, contendo 20 m. L -1 de acetoceringona. Os explantes inoculados foram fixadas em solucao de Karnovsk para avaliacoes em microscopia optica e eletronica de varredura. As analises da microspia demostraram a presenca de rupturas na epiderme, quebras da parede celular e invasao da Agrobacterium nos tecidos subepidermicos. Os reultados demostraram que o metodo SAAT e uma tecnica viavel para a inoculcao de Agrobacterium em explantes de P. vulgaris.

Protein arginine-methyltransferase-dependent oncogenesis

Enzymes that mediate reversible epigenetic modifications have not only been recognized as key in regulating gene expression(1) and oncogenesis(2,3), but also provide potential targets for molecular therapy(4). Although the methylation of arginine 3 of histone 4 ( H4R3) by protein arginine methyltransferase 1 ( PRMT1) is a critical modification for active chromatin(5,6) and prevention of heterochromatin spread(7), there has been no direct evidence of any role of PRMTs in cancer. Here, we show that PRMT1 is an essential component of a novel Mixed Lineage Leukaemia ( MLL) oncogenic transcriptional complex with both histone acetylation and H4R3 methylation activities, which also correlate with the expression of critical MLL downstream targets. Direct fusion of MLL with PRMT1 or Sam68, a bridging molecule in the complex for PRMT1 interaction, could enhance self-renewal of primary haematopoietic cells. Conversely, specific knockdown of PRMT1 or Sam68 expression suppressed MLL-mediated transformation. This study not only functionally dissects the oncogenic transcriptional machinery associated with an MLL fusion complex, but also uncovers-for the first time-an essential function of PRMTs in oncogenesis and reveals their potential as novel therapeutic targets in human cancer.

Microbial Ecology and Geo-electrical Responses across a Groundwater Plume

We have used geophysics, microbiology, and geochemistry to link large-scale (30+ m) geophysical self-potential (SP) responses at a groundwater contaminant plume with its chemistry and microbial ecology of groundwater and soil from in and around it. We have found that microbially mediated transformation of ammonia to nitrite, nitrate, and nitrogen gas was likely to have promoted a well-defined electrochemical gradient at the edge of the plume, which dominated the SP response. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the plume fringe or anode of the geobattery was dominated by electrogens and biodegradative microorganisms including Proteobacteria alongside Geobacteraceae, Desulfobulbaceae, and Nitrosomonadaceae. The uncultivated candidate phylum OD1 dominated uncontaminated areas of the site. We defined the redox boundary at the plume edge using the calculated and observed electric SP geophysical measurements. Conductive soils and waste acted as an electronic conductor, which was dominated by abiotic iron cycling processes that sequester electrons generated at the plume fringe. We have suggested that such geoelectric phenomena can act as indicators of natural attenuation processes that control groundwater plumes. Further work is required to monitor electron transfer across the geoelectric dipole to fully define this phenomenon as a geobattery. This approach can be used as a novel way of monitoring microbial activity around the degradation of contaminated groundwater plumes or to monitor in situ bioelectric systems designed to manage groundwater plumes.

Hydrothermal synthesis and structural characterization of novel alpha-Keggin unit-supported Cu(II)- and Mn(II)-bipyridine complexes from a tri-lacunary precursor

Blue [{Cu(2,2'-bipy)(2)}(2){alpha-SiW12O40}] (bipy = bipyridyl) (1) and pale yellow [Mn(2,2'-bipy)(3)](2)[alpha-SiW12O40] (2) have been synthesized hydrothermally and characterized by IR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray structure analysis. In 1, the [alpha-SiW12O40](4-) ion acts as a bridge between the two [{Cu(2,2'-bipy)(2)](2+) moieties via coordination through the terminal oxygen atoms, while in 2, the [Mn(2,2'-bipy)(3)](2+) ion balances the charge on the polyoxo anion without forming any covalent bond. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of transition metal-mediated transformation of [alpha-SiW9O34](10-) to [alpha-SiW12O40](4-).

GUS expression in sweet oranges (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) driven by three different phloem-specific promoters

Huanglongbing (HLB) is associated with Candidatus Liberibacter spp., endogenous, sieve tube-restricted bacteria that are transmitted by citrus psyllid insect vectors. Transgenic expression in the phloem of specific genes that might affect Ca. Liberibacter spp. growth and development may be an adequate strategy to improve citrus resistance to HLB. To study specific phloem gene expression in citrus, we developed three different binary vector constructs with expression cassettes bearing the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene (uidA) under the control of one of the three different promoters: Citrus phloem protein 2 (CsPP2), Arabidopsis thaliana phloem protein 2 (AtPP2), and Arabidopsis thaliana sucrose transporter 2 (AtSUC2). Transgenic lines of 'Hamlin', 'Pera', and 'Valencia' sweet oranges [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck] were produced via Agrobacterium tumefaciens transformation. The epicotyl segments collected from in vitro germinated seedlings were used as explants. The gene nptII, which confers resistance to the antibiotic kanamycin, was used for selection. The transformation efficiency was expressed as the number of GUS-positive shoots over the total number of explants and varied from 1.54 to 6.08 % among the three cultivars and three constructs studied. Several lines of the three sweet orange cultivars analyzed using PCR and Southern blot analysis were genetically transformed with the three constructs evaluated. The histological GUS activity in the leaves indicates that the uidA gene was preferentially expressed in the phloem, which suggests that the use of the three promoters might be adequate for producing HLB-resistant transgenic sweet oranges. The results reported here conclusively demonstrate the preferential expression of GUS in the phloem driven by two heterologous and one homologous gene promoters. Key message The results reported here conclusively demonstrate the preferential expression of GUS in the phloem driven by two heterologous and one homologous gene promoters.

Epicolactone - Natural Product Isolated from the Sugarcane Endophytic Fungus Epicoccum nigrum

The endophytic fungus Epicoccum nigrum was isolated from sugarcane and the bioguided fractionation of the ethyl acetate extract led to the isolation of epicolactone, mellein, and 4,5-dimethylresorcinol. Characterization of epicolactone by MS, NMR and X-ray crystallography revealed a new natural product with an unusual carbon skeleton. The production of this secondary metabolite decreased in mutants of Epicoccum nigrum transformed by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Additionally, these mutants produced 4-hydroxymellein.

Funktionelle Untersuchungen von FLORICAULA und KNOX-Genen in Eschscholzia californica Cham.

FLORICAULA (FLO) und KNOTTED1-like Homöobox (KNOX)-Gene übernehmen neben ihren konservierten Funktionen in der Achsenentwicklung in verschiedenen Eudikotylen eine Funktion in der Fiederblattentwicklung. Zur Klärung der Frage nach dem ursprünglichen Regulationsweg der Fiederblattentwicklung in Hinblick auf FLO und KNOX-Gene innerhalb der Eudikotylen wurde hier die Bedeutung dieser Gene für die Fiederblattentwicklung von Eschscholzia californica als Modell für die Ranunculales, die Schwestergruppe aller anderen Eudikotylen untersucht. Es wurde ein Protokoll zur Erzeugung von somatischen Embryonen aus unreifen Samen entwickelt. Wege zur Herstellung von Mutanten durch Agrobacterium-vermittelte Transformation werden vorgeschlagen. Die Bedeutung von Auxin für die Blattentwicklung und die Untersuchung der Interaktion von ESCHSCHOLZIA CALIFORNICA FLORICAULA (EcFLO) und des KNOX- Gens ESCHSCHOLZIA CALIFORNICA SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (EcSTM) mit Auxin wurde durch Hemmung des Auxintransports untersucht. Trotz gravierender Störungen in der Blattpositionierung und -morphologie konnten Expressionsänderungen beider Gene nicht nachgewiesen werden. Ein Funktionsverlust von EcFLO und KNOX-Genen in E. californica wurden mittels Virus induziertem Gen Silencing (VIGS) erzeugt. VIGS von EcFLO rief keinen Phänotypen hervor. VIGS des KNOX-Gens EcSTM erzeugte dagegen in einigen Pflanzen eine Reduktion der Fiederzahl. Auch molekularbiologisch konnte das Silencing von EcSTM, nicht aber das Silencing von EcFLO nachgewiesen werden. Die Ergebnisse belegen die Notwendigkeit des ungestörten Auxintransports für die Blattentwicklung von E. californica und machen die Beteiligung des KNOX-Gens EcSTM an der Blattentwicklung wahrscheinlich. Die Beteiligung von EcFLO an der Fiederbildung konnte nicht nachgewiesen werden.