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Resistance to cassava mosaic disease in transgenic cassava expressing antisense RNAs targeting virus replication genes.

African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV) is a major contributor to cassava mosaic disease (CMD), the economically most important and devastating disease of cassava in Africa. We have developed transgenic cassava plants with increased ACMV resistance using improved antisense RNA technology by targeting the viral mRNAs of Rep (AC1), TrAP (AC2) and REn (AC3). Viral DNA replication assays in detached leaves demonstrated that replication of two ACMV isolates was strongly reduced or inhibited in most transgenic lines. After ACMV infection of plants using biolistic inoculation, several lines remained symptomless at lower infection pressure (100 ng viral DNA/plant). Symptom development was reduced and attenuated even at higher DNA doses. Transgenic ACMV-resistant plants had significantly reduced viral DNA accumulation in their infected leaves. Short sense and antisense RNAs specific to AC1 were identified in transgenic lines expressing AC1 antisense RNA, suggesting that the short RNAs mediate interference by post-transcriptional gene silencing. Our results demonstrate that resistance to ACMV infection of cassava can be achieved with high efficacy by expressing antisense RNAs against viral mRNAs encoding essential non-structural proteins, providing a new tool to combat CMD in Africa.

Journal Article↗

The mouse Crx 5'-upstream transgene sequence directs cell-specific and developmentally regulated expression in retinal photoreceptor cells.

Crx, an Otx-like homeobox gene, is expressed primarily in the photoreceptors of the retina and in the pinealocytes of the pineal gland. The CRX homeodomain protein is a transactivator of many photoreceptor/pineal-specific genes in vivo, such as rhodopsin and the cone opsins. Mutations in Crx are associated with the retinal diseases, cone-rod dystrophy-2, retinitis pigmentosa, and Leber's congenital amaurosis, which lead to loss of vision. We have generated transgenic mice, using 5'- and/or 3'-flanking sequences from the mouse Crx homeobox gene fused to the beta-galactosidase (lacZ) reporter gene, and we have investigated the promoter function of the cell-specific and developmentally regulated expression of Crx. All of the independent transgenic lines commonly showed lacZ expression in the photoreceptor cells of the retina and in the pinealocytes of the pineal gland. We characterized the transgenic lines in detail for cell-specific lacZ expression patterns by 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl beta-D-galactoside staining and lacZ immunostaining. The lacZ expression was observed in developing and developed photoreceptor cells. This observation was confirmed by coimmunostaining of dissociated retinal cells with the lacZ and opsin antibodies. The ontogeny analysis indicated that the lacZ expression completely agrees with a temporal expression pattern of Crx during retinal development. This study demonstrates that the mouse Crx 5'-upstream genomic sequence is capable of directing a cell-specific and developmentally regulated expression of Crx in photoreceptor cells.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

Development of pulmonary bronchiolo-alveolar adenocarcinomas in transgenic mice overexpressing murine c-myc and epidermal growth factor in alveolar type II pneumocytes.

Transgenic mouse models were established to study tumorigenesis of bronchiolo-alveolar adenocarcinomas derived from alveolar type II pneumocytes (AT-II cells). Transgenic lines expressing the murine oncogene c- myc under the control of the lung-specific surfactant protein C promoter developed multifocal bronchiolo-alveolar hyperplasias, adenomas and carcinomas respectively, whereas transgenic lines expressing a secretable form of the epidermal growth factor (IgEGF), a structural and functional homologue of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha), developed hyperplasias of the alveolar epithelium. Since the oncogenes c- myc and TGF alpha are frequently overexpressed in human lung bronchiolo-alveolar adenocarcinomas, these mouse lines are useful as models for human lung bronchiolo-alveolar adenocarcinomas. The average life expectancies of hemizygous and homozygous c- myc transgenics were 14.25 months and 9.2 months, respectively, suggesting that a dosage effect of c- myc caused an accelerated bronchiolo-alveolar adenocarcinoma formation. First analyses of double transgenics, hemizygous for both c- myc and IgEGF, show that these mice develop bronchiolo-alveolar adenocarcinomas at the average age of 9 months, indicating that these oncogenes cooperate during the lung cancer formation. Our results demonstrate that c- myc and EGF are directly involved and cooperate with one another during formation of bronchiolo-alveolar adenocarcinomas in the lung.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Yeast 5-aminolevulinate synthase provides additional chlorophyll precursor in transgenic tobacco.

Synthesis of the tetrapyrrole precursor 5-aminolevulinate (ALA) in plants starts with glutamate and is a tRNA-dependent pathway consisting of three enzymatic steps localized in plastids. In animals and yeast, ALA is formed in a single step from succinyl CoA and glycine by aminolevulinate synthase (ALA-S) in mitochondria. A gene encoding a fusion protein of yeast ALA-S with an aminoterminal transit sequence for the small subunit of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase was introduced into the genome of wild-type tobacco and a chlorophyll-deficient transgenic line expressing glutamate 1-semi-aldehyde aminotransferase (GSA-AT) antisense RNA. Expression of ALA-S in the GSA-AT antisense transgenic line provided green-pigmented co-transformants similar to wild-type in chlorophyll content, while transformants derived from wild-type plants did not show phenotypical changes. The capacity to synthesize ALA and chlorophyll was increased in transformed plants, indicating a contribution of ALA-S to the ALA supply for chlorophyll synthesis. ALA-S activity was detected in plastids of the transformants. Preliminary evidence is presented that succinyl CoA, the substrate for ALA-S, can be synthesized and metabolized in plastids. The transgenic plants formed chlorophyll in the presence of gabaculine, an inhibitor of GSA-AT. Steady-state RNA and protein levels and consequently, the enzyme activity of GSA-AT were reduced in plants expressing ALA-S. In analogy to the light-dependent ALA synthesis attributed to feedback regulation, a mechanism at the level of intermediates or tetrapyrrole end-products is proposed, which co-ordinates the need for heme and chlorophyll precursors and restricts synthesis of ALA by regulating GSA-AT gene expression. The genetically engineered tobacco plants containing the yeast ALA-S activity demonstrate functional complementation of the catalytic activity of the plant ALA-synthesizing pathway and open strategies for producing tolerance against inhibitors of the C5 pathway.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗

The role of ethylene and wound signaling in resistance of tomato to Botrytis cinerea.

Ethylene, jasmonate, and salicylate play important roles in plant defense responses to pathogens. To investigate the contributions of these compounds in resistance of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) to the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea, three types of experiments were conducted: (a) quantitative disease assays with plants pretreated with ethylene, inhibitors of ethylene perception, or salicylate; (b) quantitative disease assays with mutants or transgenes affected in the production of or the response to either ethylene or jasmonate; and (c) expression analysis of defense-related genes before and after inoculation of plants with B. cinerea. Plants pretreated with ethylene showed a decreased susceptibility toward B. cinerea, whereas pretreatment with 1-methylcyclopropene, an inhibitor of ethylene perception, resulted in increased susceptibility. Ethylene pretreatment induced expression of several pathogenesis-related protein genes before B. cinerea infection. Proteinase inhibitor I expression was repressed by ethylene and induced by 1-methylcyclopropene. Ethylene also induced resistance in the mutant Never ripe. RNA analysis showed that Never ripe retained some ethylene sensitivity. The mutant Epinastic, constitutively activated in a subset of ethylene responses, and a transgenic line producing negligible ethylene were also tested. The results confirmed that ethylene responses are important for resistance of tomato to B. cinerea. The mutant Defenseless, impaired in jasmonate biosynthesis, showed increased susceptibility to B. cinerea. A transgenic line with reduced prosystemin expression showed similar susceptibility as Defenseless, whereas a prosystemin-overexpressing transgene was highly resistant. Ethylene and wound signaling acted independently on resistance. Salicylate and ethylene acted synergistically on defense gene expression, but antagonistically on resistance.

Botrytis↗

An alternative tandem affinity purification strategy applied to Arabidopsis protein complex isolation.

Tandem affinity purification (TAP) strategies constitute an efficient approach for protein complex purification from many different organisms. However, the application of such strategies for purifying endogenous Arabidopsis multi-protein complexes has not yet been reported. Here, we describe an alternative TAP (TAPa) system that successfully allows protein complex purification from Arabidopsis. In our newly generated TAPa tag we have replaced the tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease cleavage site with the more specific and low-temperature active rhinovirus 3C protease site. In addition, the second purification step can now be performed through two different affinity tags: a six His repeat or nine copies of a myc repeat. To examine our purification procedure we generated a C-terminal fusion between the TAPa tag and CSN3, a component of the multi-protein COP9 signalosome (CSN) complex. Subsequent analysis showed that CSN3-TAPa could rescue a csn3 mutant, and that the components of the CSN complex could be co-purified with CSN3-TAPa. As part of our long running interest in light signaling in Arabidopsis we have generated Arabidopsis transgenic lines harboring, both N-terminal and C-terminal TAPa fusions of many different light signaling pathway regulators. Molecular characterization of these transgenic lines showed fusion expression in 88% of the genes analyzed and that this expression is largely independent of the fusion orientation. Mutant complementation analysis showed that most of the TAPa fusions analyzed retained function of the wild-type proteins. Taken together, the data demonstrate the suitability of the TAPa system to allow efficient multi-protein complex isolation from stably transformed Arabidopsis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

TGF-beta1 in liver fibrosis: an inducible transgenic mouse model to study liver fibrogenesis.

Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) is a powerful stimulus for collagen formation in vitro. To determine the in vivo effects of TGF-beta1 on liver fibrogenesis, we generated transgenic mice overexpressing a fusion gene [C-reactive protein (CRP)/TGF-beta1] consisting of the cDNA coding for an activated form of TGF-beta1 under the control of the regulatory elements of the inducible human CRP gene promoter. Two transgenic lines were generated with liver-specific overexpression of mature TGF-beta1. After induction of the acute phase response (15 h) with lipopolysaccharide (100 microgram ip), plasma TGF-beta1 levels reached >600 ng/ml in transgenic animals, which is >100 times above normal plasma levels. Basal plasma levels of uninduced transgenic animals were about two to five times above normal. As a consequence of hepatic TGF-beta1 expression, we could demonstrate marked transient upregulation of procollagen I and procollagen III mRNA in the liver 15 h after the peak of TGF-beta1 expression. Liver histology after repeated induction of transgene expression showed an activation of hepatic stellate cells in both transgenic lines. The fibrotic process was characterized by perisinusoidal deposition of collagen in a linear pattern. This transgenic mouse model gives in vivo evidence for the important role of TGF-beta1 in stellate cell activation and liver fibrogenesis. Due to the ability to control the level of TGF-beta1 expression, this model allows the study of the regulation and kinetics of collagen synthesis and fibrolysis as well as the degree of reversibility of liver fibrosis. The CRP/TGF-beta1 transgenic mouse model may finally serve as a model for the testing of antifibrogenic agents.

Animals↗

Functional expression of the leftward open reading frames of the A component of tomato golden mosaic virus in transgenic tobacco plants.

The genome of the geminivirus tomato golden mosaic virus (TGMV) consists of two circular DNA molecules designated as components A and B. We have constructed Nicotiana benthamiana plants that are transgenic for the three overlapping open reading frames, AL1, AL2, and AL3, from the left side of TGMV A. In the transgenic plants, the AL open reading frames are under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter. In TGMV infectivity assays, seven of 10 transgenic lines complemented TGMV A variants with mutations in AL1, AL2, or AL3 when co-inoculated with the B component. The 35S-AL construct was transcribed as a single RNA species in the transgenic plants, indicating that AL1, AL2, and AL3 were expressed from a polycistronic mRNA. This differs from the complex transcription pattern in TGMV-infected plants, which contains five AL transcripts. There was no quantitative correlation between the efficiency of complementation in the infectivity assay and the level of expression of transgenic AL RNA in the leaves of a transgenic line. One line that failed to complement defects in AL1, AL2, and AL3 in infectivity assays contained high levels of transgenic AL RNA and functional AL1 protein. These results provide evidence that chromosomal position can affect the cell- and tissue-specific transcription of the 35S promoter in transgenic plants. Comparison of the complementing plants and wild-type infected plants may provide insight into the TGMV infection process and the use of the CaMV 35S promoter for gene expression in transgenic plants.

Base Sequence↗

Growth hormone transgenes regulate the expression of sex-specific isoforms of 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/delta 5-->4-isomerase in mouse liver and gonads.

The sexually dimorphic pattern of GH secretion regulates the expression of several steroidogenic enzymes in rat liver, including a male-specific 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/delta 5-->4-isomerase (3 beta HSD). Recently, we identified male-specific isoforms of immunoreactive 3 beta HSD in mouse liver [42 kilodaltons (kDa)] and gonads (47 kDa). To test whether GH can regulate the expression of these murine 3 beta HSDs, endogenous forms of 3 beta HSD were studied in transgenic mice expressing heterologous GH transgene products. Mice from five transgenic lines were used; two expressed GH transgenes encoding the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) promoter fused to either the human (h) GH (somatogenic and lactogenic) or bovine (b) GH (somatogenic) structural genes, and three expressed GH transgenes encoding the mouse metallothionein-1 (MT1) promoter fused to the hGH, hGH variant (hGHv), or bGH structural genes. Control mice were normal nontransgenic littermates. Expression of a male-specific (42 kDa) isoform of hepatic 3 beta HSD is dramatically suppressed in all transgenic mouse lines, as detected on Western immunoblots, without affecting a 47-kDa isoform expressed in livers of both male and female mice. This negative regulation was not observed in mouse kidney, which normally expresses two 3 beta HSD isoforms (in both sexes) with molecular masses similar to those in liver. Considering that PEPCK and MT1 promoters direct expression of GH fusion genes in both tissues, the inhibition of hepatic, but not renal, 3 beta HSD immunoreactivity suggests that GH affects sex-specific, rather than tissue-specific, expression of 3 beta HSD. As in the liver, sex-specific expression of 3 beta HSD in the testis is also suppressed by heterologous GH, but with one notable difference. Only human-derived GH (MT1-hGH and MT1-hGHv) effectively inhibits expression of the 47-kDa sex-specific isoform of testicular 3 beta HSD, without affecting the 44-kDa isoform expressed in gonads of both male and female mice. These results suggest that the negative effects of heterologous GH on sex-specific 3 beta HSDs may be mediated by PRL receptors in the testis and GH receptors in the liver. PEPCK-GH transgenes had little effect on testicular 3 beta HSD, possibly because this promoter (unlike MT1) is relatively inactive in this tissue. In the liver of male transgenics (PEPCK-hGH), loss of the sex-specific (42-kDa) 3 beta HSD has little effect on the Km for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA; 11 microM) compared with that in normal controls (16 microM).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

Transgene expression produced by biolistic-mediated, site-specific gene integration is consistently inherited by the subsequent generations.

The efficient production of stable transgenic plants is important for both crop improvement and functional genomics. Site-specific integration of foreign genes into a designated genomic position is an attractive tool for minimizing expression variability between transgenic lines. Here, we studied the utility of a Cre-mediated, site-specific integration approach, facilitated by particle bombardment, for streamlining the production of stable transgenic plants, using rice as a model species. Using this method, we generated 18 different transgenic lines containing a precise integration of a single copy of beta-glucuronidase gene (gusA) into a designated genomic location. Eleven of these lines contained no illegitimate integration in the background (single-copy lines), and seven contained illegitimate integrations in addition to the site-specific integration (multicopy lines). We monitored gusA expression in these lines up to three to four successive generations. Each of the single-copy lines expressed the gusA gene at consistent levels and nearly doubled the expression level in the homozygous state. In contrast, multicopy lines displayed expression variation and gene silencing. In about half of the multicopy lines, however, expression of the site-specific integration locus could be reactivated and stabilized on segregation of the illegitimate integrations, whereas, in the remaining half, expression could not be restored, as they contained genetically linked illegitimate integrations. This study demonstrates that biolistic-mediated, site-specific gene integration is an efficient and reliable tool for streamlining the production of stable transgenic plants.

Biolistics↗

Cre-mediated somatic site-specific recombination in mice.

Conditional mutant mice equipped with heterologous recombination systems (Cre/lox or Flp/frt) are promising for studying tissue-specific gene function and for designing better models of human diseases. The utility of these mice depends on the cell target specificity, on the efficiency and on the control over timing of gene (in)activation. We have explored the utility of adenoviral vectors and transgenic mice expressing Cre under the control of tissue-specific promoters to achieve Cre/lox-mediated somatic recombination of the LacZ reporter gene, using a newly generated flox LacZ mouse strain. When adeno Cre viruses were administered via different routes, recombination and expression of LacZ was detected in a wide range of tissues. Whereas in liverbeta-galactosidase activity was quickly lost by turnover of expressing cells, even though the recombined allele was retained,beta-galactosidase in other tissues persisted for many months. Our data indicate that the flox LacZ transgenic line can be utilized effectively to monitor the level and functionality of Cre protein produced upon infection with adeno Cre virus or upon crossbreeding with different Cre transgenic lines.

Actins↗

Glucocorticoid-inducible expression of a bacterial avirulence gene in transgenic Arabidopsis induces hypersensitive cell death.

Pathogenic strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato carrying the avrRpt2 avirulence gene specifically induce a hypersensitive cell death response in Arabidopsis plants that contain the complementary RPS2 disease resistance gene. Transient expression of avrRpt2 in Arabidopsis plants having the RPS2 gene has been shown to induce hypersensitive cell death. In order to analyze the effects of conditional expression of avrRpt2 in Arabidopsis plants, transgenic lines were constructed that contained the avrRpt2 gene under the control of a tightly regulated, glucocorticoid-inducible promoter. Dexamethasone-induced expression of avrRpt2 in transgenic lines having the RPS2 gene resulted in a specific hypersensitive cell death response that resembled a Pseudomonas syringae-induced hypersensitive response and also induced the expression of a pathogenesis-related gene (PR1). Interestingly, high level expression of avrRpt2 in a mutant rps2-101C background resulted in plant stress and ultimately cell death, suggesting a possible role for avrRpt2 in Pseudomonas syringae virulence. Transgenic RPS2 and rps2 plants that contain the glucocorticoid-inducible avrRpt2 gene will provide a powerful new tool for the genetic, physiological, biochemical, and molecular dissection of an avirulence gene-specified cell death response in both resistant and susceptible plants.

Arabidopsis↗

Genetic engineering of potato for broad-spectrum protection against virus infection.

Transgenic potato plants expressing mutant alleles of PLRV ORF4, the gene for the movement protein pr17 of this luteovirus, were generated for broad-range protection against virus infection. When tested for protection against infection by PLRV, all transgenic lines showed a significant reduction of virus antigen. Potato lines accumulating N- or C-terminally extended PLRV pr17 mutant proteins were resistant to infection by the unrelated potato viruses PVY and PVX. Transgenic lines that did not express protein despite high transcript levels failed to exhibit virus resistance.

Alleles↗

Technical advance: simultaneous analysis of metabolites in potato tuber by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A new method is presented in which gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) allows the quantitative and qualitative detection of more than 150 compounds within a potato tuber, in a highly sensitive and specific manner. In contrast to other methods developed for metabolite analysis in plant systems, this method represents an unbiased and open approach that allows the detection of unexpected changes in metabolite levels. Although the method represents a compromise for a wide range of metabolites in terms of extraction, chemical modification and GC-MS analysis, for 25 metabolites analysed in detail the recoveries were found to be within the generally accepted range of 70-140%. Further, the reproducibility of the method was high: the error occurring in the analysis procedures was found to be less than 6% for 30 out of 33 compounds tested. Biological variability exceeded the systematic error of the analysis by a factor of up to 10. The method is also suited for upscaling, potentially allowing the simultaneous analysis of a large number of samples. As a first example this method has been applied to soil- and in vitro-grown tubers. Due to the simultaneous analysis of a wide range of metabolites it was immediately apparent that these systems differ significantly in their metabolism. Furthermore, the parallel insight into many pathways allows some conclusions to be drawn about the underlying physiological differences between both tuber systems. As a second example, transgenic lines modified in sucrose catabolism or starch synthesis were analysed. This example illustrates the power of an unbiased approach to detecting unexpected changes in transgenic lines.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry↗

Activation of the pathogen-inducible Gst1 promoter of potato after elicitation by Venturia inaequalis and Erwinia amylovora in transgenic apple (Malus x domestica).

Rather than using a constitutive promoter to drive transgenes for resistance against fungal and bacterial diseases in genetic engineering of apple (Malus x domestica) cultivars, a promoter induced only after infection was preferred. The ability of the Pgst1 promoter from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) to drive expression of the gusA reporter gene was determined in two genotypes of apple: the fruit cultivar Royal Gala and the M.26 rootstock. beta-Glucuronidase activity in the transgenic lines grown in a growth chamber was determined quantitatively using fluorometric assays and compared to the activity in Cauliflower Mosaic Virus (CaMV) 35S promoter-driven transgenic lines. In both apple genotypes, the Pgst1 promoter exhibited a low level of expression after bacterial and fungal inoculation compared to the level obtained with the PCaMV35S promoter (15% and 8% respectively). The Pgst1 promoter was systematically activated in apple at the site of infection with a fungal pathogen. It was also activated after treatment with salicylic acid, but not after wounding. Taken together, these data show that, although the Pgst1 promoter is less active than the PCaMV35S promoter in apple, its pathogen responsiveness could be useful in driving the expression of transgenes to promote bacterial and fungal disease resistance.

Antifungal Agents↗

The murine Y1 receptor 5' upstream sequence directs cell-specific and developmentally regulated LacZ expression in transgenic mice CNS.

The Y1 receptor for neuropeptide Y (NPY) is highly expressed in mammalian CNS where it mediates the activation of several neurobiological functions. We have previously demonstrated that a 1.3-kb fragment upstream of the transcription initiation sites of the murine Y1 receptor gene is able to direct specific expression of reporter genes in neuronal cell cultures. In the present study transgenic mice harbouring this putative promoter region linked to the LacZ reporter gene were generated and analysed for temporal and spatial distribution. Ten transgenic lines expressed beta-galactosidase in the CNS but not in other organs such as heart, liver and kidney. Histochemical analysis of brain from adult transgenic mice showed specific expression of the transgene in specific brain regions with little variation. Four transgenic lines showed characteristic patterns of beta-galactosidase activity in the brain that are consistent with the expression of the endogenous gene. Prominent LacZ activity was present in several telencephalic and diencephalic structures, including deeper layers of cerebral cortex, amygdaloid complex, hippocampus, preoptic area, several thalamic and hypothalamic nuclei and habenula. The ontogeny analysis indicates that the LacZ expression agrees with the temporal expression pattern of rat Y1 receptor mRNA. These data demonstrate that the 1.3-kb upstream region of the murine Y1 receptor gene contains the cis acting elements required for establishing a CNS-restricted and developmental stage-specific pattern of expression in vivo. Moreover they provide further information on the distribution of this NPY subtype receptor in mammalian brain.

Animals↗