Epigenetic regulation in the control of flowering.
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Amino Acid Sequence↗
Biomedical subjects
C Lister
Publications and source records attributed to C Lister.
Molecular analysis of FRIGIDA, a major determinant of natural variation in Arabidopsis flowering time.
Vernalization, the acceleration of flowering by a long period of cold temperature, ensures that many plants overwinter vegetatively and flower in spring. In Arabidopsis, allelic variation at the FRIGIDA (FRI) locus is a major determinant of natural variation in flowering time. Dominant alleles of FRI confer late flowering, which is reversed to earliness by vernalization. We cloned FRI and analyzed the molecular basis of the allelic variation. Most of the early-flowering ecotypes analyzed carry FRI alleles containing one of two different deletions that disrupt the open reading frame. Loss-of-function mutations at FRI have thus provided the basis for the evolution of many early-flowering ecotypes.
Alleles↗
Mice overexpressing human uncoupling protein-3 in skeletal muscle are hyperphagic and lean.
Uncoupling protein-3 (UCP-3) is a recently identified member of the mitochondrial transporter superfamily that is expressed predominantly in skeletal muscle. However, its close relative UCP-1 is expressed exclusively in brown adipose tissue, a tissue whose main function is fat combustion and thermogenesis. Studies on the expression of UCP-3 in animals and humans in different physiological situations support a role for UCP-3 in energy balance and lipid metabolism. However, direct evidence for these roles is lacking. Here we describe the creation of transgenic mice that overexpress human UCP-3 in skeletal muscle. These mice are hyperphagic but weigh less than their wild-type littermates. Magnetic resonance imaging shows a striking reduction in adipose tissue mass. The mice also exhibit lower fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels and an increased glucose clearance rate. This provides evidence that skeletal muscle UCP-3 has the potential to influence metabolic rate and glucose homeostasis in the whole animal.
Adipose Tissue↗
Relationship among antioxidant activity, vasodilation capacity, and phenolic content of red wines.
The relationship among antioxidant activity, based on the electron-spin resonance determination of the reduction of Fremy's radical, vasodilation activity, and phenolic content was investigated in 16 red wines. The wines were selected to provide a range of origins, grape varieties, and vinification methods. Sensitive and selective HPLC methods were used for the analysis of the major phenolics in red wine: free and conjugated myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin; (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, caftaric acid, trans-resveratrol, cis-resveratrol, and trans-resveratrol glucoside. Total anthocyanins were measured using a colorimetric assay. The total phenolic content of the wines was determined according to the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric assay and also by the cumulative measurements obtained by HPLC. The 16 wines exhibited a wide range in the values of all parameters investigated. However, the total phenol contents, measured both by HPLC and colorimetrically, correlated very strongly with the antioxidant activity and vasodilation activity. In addition, the antioxidant activity was associated with gallic acid, total resveratrol, and total catechin. In contrast, only the total anthocyanins were correlated with vasodilation activity. The results demonstrate that the different phenolic profiles of wines can produce varying antioxidant and vasodilatant activities, which opens up the possibility that some red wines may provide enhanced health benefits for the consumer.
Antioxidants↗
The occlusal management of maxillary anterior single-unit implant-supported restorations.
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Adult↗
The distinctive roles of five different ARC genes in the chloroplast division process in Arabidopsis.
ARC (accumulation and replication of chloroplasts) genes control different aspects of the chloroplast division process in higher plants. In order to establish the hierarchy of the ARC genes in the chloroplast division process and to provide evidence for their specific roles, double mutants were constructed between arc11, arc6, arc5, arc3 and arc1 in all combinations and phenotypically analysed. arc11 is a new nuclear recessive mutant with 29 chloroplasts compared with 120 in wild type. All the phenotypes of the double mutants are unambiguous. ARC1 down-regulates proplastid division but is on a separate pathway from ARC3, ARC5, ARC6 and ARC11. ARC6 initiates both proplastid and chloroplast division. ARC3 controls the rate of chloroplast expansion and ARC11 the central positioning of the final division plane in chloroplast division. ARC5 facilitates separation of the two daughter chloroplasts. ARC5 maps to chromosome 3 and ARC11 and ARC6 map approximately 60 cM apart on chromosome 5.
Arabidopsis↗
The DIF1 gene of Arabidopsis is required for meiotic chromosome segregation and belongs to the REC8/RAD21 cohesin gene family.
Cohesins are a group of conserved proteins responsible for cohesion between replicated sister chromatids during mitosis and meiosis and which are implicated in double-strand break repair and meiotic recombination. We describe here the identification and characterisation of an Arabidopsis gene - DETERMINATE, INFERTILE1 (DIF1), which is a homolog of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe REC8/RAD21 cohesin genes, and is essential for meiotic chromosome segregation. Five independent alleles of the DIF1 gene were isolated by transposon mutagenesis, and the mutants show complete male and female sterility. Pollen mother cells (PMCs) of dif1 mutants show multiple meiotic defects which are represented by univalent chromosomes and chromosome fragmentation at metaphase I, and acentric fragments and chromatin bridges in meiosis I and II. Consequently, chromosome segregation is strongly affected, resulting in meiotic products of uneven size, shape and of variable ploidy. The similarities in phenotype, and the sequence homology between DIF1 and the REC8/RAD21 cohesins suggests that cohesin function is largely conserved between eukaryotes and highlights the essential role cohesins play in plant meiosis.
Alleles↗
Genome maps 9. Arabidopsis thaliana. Wall chart.
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Arabidopsis↗
Development of an AFLP based linkage map of Ler, Col and Cvi Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes and construction of a Ler/Cvi recombinant inbred line population.
An amplified fragment polymorphism (AFLP) based linkage map has been generated for a new Landsberg erecta/ Cape Verde Islands (Ler/Cvi) recombinant inbred line (RIL) population. A total of 321 molecular PCR based markers and the erecta mutation were mapped. AFLP markers were also analysed in the Landsberg erecta/Columbia (Ler/Col) RIL population (Lister and Dean, 1993) and 395 AFLP markers have been integrated into the previous Arabidopsis molecular map of 122 RFLPs, CAPSs and SSLPs. This enabled the evaluation of the efficiency and robustness of AFLP technology for linkage analyses in Arabidopsis. AFLP markers were found throughout the linkage map. The two RIL maps could be integrated through 49 common markers which all mapped at similar positions. Comparison of both maps led to the conclusion that segregating bands from a common parent can be compared between different populations, and that AFLP bands of similar molecular size, amplified with the same primer combination in two different ecotypes, are likely to correspond to the same locus. AFLPs were found clustering around the centromeric regions, and the authors have established the map position of the centromere of chromosome 3 by a quantitative analysis of AFLP bands using trisomic plants. AFLP markers were also used to estimate the polymorphism rate among the three ecotypes. The larger polymorphism rate found between Ler and Cvi compared to Ler and Col will mean that the new RIL population will provide a useful material to map DNA polymorphisms and quantitative trait loci.
Arabidopsis↗
The transposition frequency of Tag1 elements is increased in transgenic Arabidopsis lines.
Tag1 was identified as a highly active endogenous transposable element in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana Landsberg erecta plants carrying the maize transposable element Activator (Ac). Here, we describe experiments designed to determine the basis for the high activity of Tag1. The frequency of transposition of Tag1 elements was compared in lines containing or lacking Ac transposase to assess the effect of Ac transposase on Tag1 activity. Three populations of nontransgenic plants, including nontransformed regenerants, were also analyzed. The high level of activity of Tag1 did not correlate with the presence or absence of Ac transposase but was significantly higher in transgenic lines. This result was maintained through at least six generations after transformation. These data suggest that Tag1 transposition is stimulated by processes that occur during the Agrobacterium transformation and that thereafter remain active. Two Tag1 elements are tightly linked in the Landsberg erecta genome and map to the lower arm of chromosome 1. Tag1 elements were found in only a few A. thaliana ecotypes but were present in four other Arabidopsis species.
Arabidopsis↗
FCA, a gene controlling flowering time in Arabidopsis, encodes a protein containing RNA-binding domains.
A strong promoter of the transition to flowering in Arabidopsis is encoded by FCA. FCA has been cloned and shown to encode a protein containing two RNA-binding domains and a WW protein interaction domain. This suggests that FCA functions in the posttranscriptional regulation of transcripts involved in the flowering process. The FCA transcript is alternatively spliced with only one form encoding the entire FCA protein. Plants carrying the FCA gene fused to the strong constitutive 35S promoter flowered earlier, and the ratio and abundance of the different FCA transcripts were altered. Thus, FCA appears to be a component of a posttranscriptional cascade involved in the control of flowering time.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
The future of dentistry.
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Dentistry, Operative↗
Cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase from Arabidopsis thaliana L. is encoded by a small multigene family.
A second cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase (cAPX; EC 1.11.1.11) gene from Arabidopsis thaliana has been characterised. This second gene (designated APX1b) maps to linkage group 3 and potentially encodes a cAPX as closely related to that from other dicotyledonous species as to the other member of this gene family (Kubo et al., 1993, FEBS Lett 315: 313 317; here designated APX1a), which maps to linkage group 1. In contrast, the lack of sequence similarity in non-coding regions of the genes implies that they are differentially regulated. Under non-stressed conditions only APX1a is expressed. APX1b was identified during low-stringency probing using a cDNA coding for pea cAPX which, in turn, was recovered from a cDNA library by immunoscreening with an antiserum raised against tea plastidial APX (pAPX). No pAPX cDNAs were recovered, despite the antiserum displaying specificity for pAPX in Western blots.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Isolation and mapping of a new set of 129 RFLP markers in Arabidopsis thaliana using recombinant inbred lines.
A new collection of 129 Arabidopsis thaliana RFLP markers has been established based upon DNA fragments cloned in the pUC119 plasmid vector and insert end sequences of P1 clones. Dominant/null alleles affecting low-copy number sequences account for nine of the mapped polymorphisms, suggesting that deletions are not rare in A. thaliana. Recombinant inbred (RI) lines were used for mapping these marker loci. RI line-based mapping allows integration of this set of markers with markers previously reported as well as with any markers mapped in the future using this replenishable mapping resource. These markers are useful for map-based gene isolation and genome physical mapping in A. thaliana as well as studies of chromosome colinearity (synteny) with related species.
Arabidopsis↗
Use of Ac as an insertional mutagen in Arabidopsis.
A pilot-scale transposon mutagenesis experiment using a modified autonomous Activator (Ac) element, Ac delta Nael, was carried out in Arabidopsis thaliana. Four different transformants carrying Ac elements in different and defined genomic locations were used to generate 1000 plants carrying approximately 500 independent germinal transposition events. These plants were then selfed and the 1000 families screened in tissue culture and soil for phenotypic mutants. Fifty different families segregated mutations in their progeny. Preliminary Southern blot analysis of 29 families which segregated mutant progeny, showed that 28 had a transposed Ac. Six of the families were further tested for linkage between the transposed Ac and the mutant phenotype, and instability of the putatively tagged locus. Two of the mutants were shown to be tagged as they were tightly linked to a transposed Ac, and somatic and germinal reversion was associated with loss of Ac. One other mutant locus was shown to be closely linked to a transposed Ac, and therefore was likely to be tagged. The remaining three mutations were not tagged as they were not linked to a transposed Ac. In two of the tagged mutants Ac had transposed to closely linked sites, while in a third mutant the co-segregating Ac had transposed to a site which was not tightly linked to the donor T-DNA. Multiple insertions into the DIF1 locus were found, due to the preferential transposition of Ac to a linked site.
Arabidopsis↗