Contents
Invited Reviews
Functional genomics of natural product glycosyltransferases in Arabidopsis
Keiko Yonekura-Sakakibara. . . . . . . 267 [PDF]
Glycosylation plays an important role for the stabilization, enhancement of water solubility and detoxification of natural products. It also contributes to the highly diverse nature of plant secondary metabolites. This review describes recent developments in functional genomics efforts on family 1 glycosyltransferases for plant natural products in Arabidopsis.
Gateway vectors for plant transformation
Tsuyoshi Nakagawa, Sumie Ishiguro, Tetsuya Kimura. . . . . . . 275 [PDF]
The use of Gateway cloning has expanded in plant genetic engineering. In this review, we described the construction, structure and characteristics of our Gateway binary vector (pGWB), improved pGWB (ImpGWB), and R4pGWB (pGWB for promoter swapping).
Original Papers
Identification of an inducible glucosyltransferase from Phytolacca americana L. cells that are capable of glucosylating capsaicin
Akio Noguchi, Satoshi Kunikane, Hiroaki Homma, Wenhai Liu, Takashi Sekiya, Miho Hosoya, Soonil Kwon, Shingo Ohiwa, Hisashi Katsuragi, Tokuzo Nishino, Seiji Takahashi, Hiroki Hamada, Toru Nakayama. . . . . . . 285 [PDF] [Supplement]
Cell suspension cultures of Phytolacca americana L. are capable of glycosylating capsaicinoids. Capsaicinoid glucosyltransferase activity was identified for one of the cloned enzymes, PaGT3, which was functionally characterized. Transcription analyses showed that the expression of PaGT3 in P. americana L. was strongly induced by exposure of the cells to capsaicin.
SET domain-containing protein genes are involved in Arabidopsis thaliana embryogenesis
Naohito Hariganeya, Akira Kikuchi, Hiroshi Kamada. . . . . . . 293 [PDF]
Histone methylation plays a key role for regulation of the differentiation in plants. In Arabidopsis, we revealed that methylation level of histone H3 lysine 4 at promoter region of LEAFY COTYLEDON1 in somatic embryos was higher than in rosette leaves. Moreover, among 37 SET domain-containing protein genes, seven were found to have a high probability of involvement in embryogenesis.
Interspecific hybridization between triploid Senno (Lychnis senno Siebold et Zucc., Caryophyllaceae) and allied taxa of the genus Lychnis
Toshinari Godo, Junko Miyazaki, Sachiko Kuwayama, Shinjiro Ogita, Yasuo Kato, Masaru Nakano, Masashi Nakata. . . . . . . 301 [PDF]
Hand-pollination was conducted between triploid Senno and allied Lychnis taxa. Interspecific hybrids were obtained only in three cross comninations, L. senno × L. kiusiana, L. kiusiana × L. senno, and L. senno × L. sieboldii. Although almost of the hybrids showed an abnormal morphology or chlorophyll-deficiency, xantha, only one hybrid of L. senno × L. sieboldii grew into a green plantlet.
Production of agarwood fragrant constituents in Aquilaria calli and cell suspension cultures
Yukie Okudera, Michiho Ito. . . . . . . 307 [PDF]
Agarwood is the resinous portion of Aquilaria trees but the mechanisms of its formation have not been unveiled. We used cultured cells of Aquilaria to study the process of production of these fragrant compounds and found that sesquiterpenoids and chromone derivertives seemed to be occurred in different ways.
Short Communications
Nutrient starvation differentially regulates GmATG8i in soybean seedlings
Nang Myint Phyu Sin Htwe, Hiroyuki Tanigawa, Yushi Ishibashi, Shao-Hui Zheng, Takashi Yuasa, Mari Iwaya-Inoue. . . . . . . 317 [PDF]
To understand autophagy in soybean, expression profiles of autophagy-related genes (ATG) were examined using soybean seedlings subjected to starvation stress. GmATG8i and GmATG4 were induced under starvation of sucrose and nitrate, while an immunoreactive signal of GmATG8i by anti-GmATG8i antibody decreased. Treatment of vacuolar protease inhibitors on soybean seedling under starvation resulted in significant increase both of protein and mRNA of GmATG8i. These results suggest that gene expression of GmATG8i in soybean is regulated by both nutrient condition and intracellular amino acid recycling via proteolysis in vacuole.
Isolation and characterization of a TERMINAL FLOWER 1 homolog, RsTFL1, from radish (Raphanus sativus)
Shosaku Oshima, Kazumasa Ikeda, Kazunari Nomura. . . . . . . 327 [PDF]
TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1) regulates the floral phases and inflorescence architecture of Arabidopsis. A TFL1 homolog designated RsTFL1 was isolated from radish (Raphanus sativus). The gene was expressed in the inflorescence meristem, but not in the floral meristems. The expression was not limited to inner cells of inflorescence meristem, unlike TFL1 in Arabidopsis.
Tissue Culture Note
In vitro regeneration of Psoralea corylifolia L. through callus cultures
P. Baskarana, N. Jayabalan. . . . . . . 333 [PDF]
In vitro regeneration protocol was developed from hypocotyl-derived callus of Psoralea corylifolia L. Shoot regeneration was achieved from green compact nodular calli from 3 day-old hypocotyl explants. Regenerated shoots elongated and hardened in moistened soil mixture and vermiculate (3:1 v/v). The plants were established in the field and higher survival percentage was achieved in winter season. This system would be useful for mass propagation and germplasm conservation of P. corylifolia.
Technical Notes
High-throughput determination of thioglycolic acid lignin from rice
Shiro Suzuki, Yoshie Suzuki, Naoki Yamamoto, Takefumi Hattori, Masahiro Sakamoto, Toshiaki Umezawa. . . . . . . 337 [PDF]
We describe a straightforward, high-throughput method for lignin determination as thioglycolic acid lignin from rice straw in this paper. Using this method, about 100 independent samples from rice straw can be analyzed in three days per person.
A selection system for transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana using potassium thiocyanate as the selective agent and AtHOL1 as the selective marker
Keiko Midorikawa, Yukari Nagatoshi, Tatsuo Nakamura. . . . . . . 341 [PDF] [Supplement]
Arabidopsis AtHOL1 protein methylates and detoxifies thiocyanate, a plant growth inhibitor. We have developed a screening method for transgenic Arabidopsis using AtHOL1 gene as a selective marker.
High-throughput screening for plant defense activators using a β-glucuronidase-reporter gene assay in Arabidopsis thaliana
Yoshihiro Narusaka, Mari Narusaka, Hiroshi Abe, Nami Hosaka, Masatomo Kobayashi, Tomonori Shiraishi, Masaki Iwabuchi. . . . . . . 345 [PDF]
To develop a screening system for plant defense activators, we utilized a GUS histochemical staining assay using promoters of the defense-related genes, PR-1 and PDF1.2. In the present preliminary screening, some chemicals induced GUS activity. The foliar treatment with abietic acid strongly induced expression of PR-1 gene and inhibited an infection of Arabidopsis thaliana with the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum higginsianum.