A modified protocol for the comet assay allowing the processing of multiple samples.

In the present study, we developed a modified protocol for the basic comet assay that increased efficiency without sacrificing assay reliability. A spreader was used to spread agarose-embedded cells on a slide, making the manipulation and processing of multiple samples easier. Using this technique, we are able to rapidly prepare five or more comet assay samples on one slide. To demonstrate the effect of the protocol modifications on assay reliability, we present an example of how the comet assay was used in our laboratory to analyze the effect of melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxitryptamine; MEL) on the DNA repair ability of Gentiana macrophylla Pall. protoplasts after irradiation with different doses of ultraviolet-B radiation. A slight, but statistically significant (P<0.01), dose-related protective effect of MEL was observed in our experiments. The first use of the comet assay was to confirm the antioxidant and DNA repair functions of MEL in plants. The modified protocol is cost-effective and provides substantial advantages over the conventional comet assay.

Effect of CO2 laser radiation on physiological tolerance of wheat seedlings exposed to chilling stress.

To determine the effect of CO(2) laser pretreatment of wheat seeds on the physiological tolerance of seedlings to chilling stress, wheat seeds were exposed to CO(2) laser radiation for 300 s. After being cultivated for 48 h at 25 degrees C, the wheat seedlings were subjected to chilling stress for 24 h. Selected physiological and biochemical parameters were measured in 6-day-old seedlings. We observed that chilling stress enhanced the concentrations of malondialdehyde and oxidized glutathione while decreasing the activities of nitric oxide synthase, catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and the concentrations of nitric oxide and glutathione in the wheat leaves compared with controls. When the chilling stress was preceded by CO(2) laser irradiation, the concentrations of malondialdehyde and oxidized glutathione were decreased while the activities of nitric oxide synthase, catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and the concentrations of nitric oxide and glutathione increased. Furthermore, chilling stress decreased the biomass, biophoton intensity and GHS/GSSG ratios of seedlings while these parameters increased when the seedlings were treated with CO(2) laser irradiation prior to the chilling stress. The results suggest that a suitable dose of CO(2) laser stimulation can enhance the physiological tolerance of wheat seedlings to chilling stress.

Weak microwave can alleviate water deficit induced by osmotic stress in wheat seedlings.

The aim of the investigation is to determine the effect of microwave pretreatment of wheat seeds on the resistance of seedlings to osmotic stress. Changes in biophysical, physiological and biochemical characters were measured. The results showed: (1) The magnetic field intensity and seeds temperature increased progressively with microwave pretreatments of 5, 10, 15, 20 s and 25 s compared with controls. Although each microwave pretreatment resulted in an increase in alpha-amylase activity and photon emission intensity, the increase of alpha-amylase activity and photon emission intensity was maximal at a microwave pretreatment of 10 s. (2) Osmotic stress induced by PEG treatment enhanced the concentration of malondialdehyde, while decreasing the activities of nitricoxide synthase, catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and the concentration of nitric oxide, ascorbic acid, glutathione in the seedlings compared with controls. However, compared to osmotic stress alone, in the seedlings treated with microwave irradiation plus osmotic stress the concentration of malondialdehyde decreased, while the activities of nitricoxide synthase, catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and the concentration of nitric oxide, ascorbic acid and glutathione increased. These results suggest that a suitable dose of microwave radiation can enhance the capability to eliminate free radicals induced by osmotic stress in wheat seedlings resulting in an increase in resistance to osmotic stress.

[Transformation of Astragalus melilotoides Pall with AtNHX1 gene and the expression of salinity tolerance of transformants].

Using RT-PCR method, the open reading frame (ORF) of AtNHX1-cDNA, encoding the vacuolar Na+/H+ antiportor, was cloned from Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings pretreated with 100 mmol/L NaCl for 24h. This ORF was inserted between CaMV35S promoter, a Omega fragment of TMV RNA 5'UTR and NOS polyA terminator in the T-DNA region of a binary expression vector pNT (Fig1). The recombinant plasmid, designated as pNT-AtNHX1, was then transformed into Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404. Mediated by this engineering Agrobacterium, the AtNHX1 gene was transferred into T0 generation transgenic plant strains of A. melilotoides and 103 regenerated plants resistant to Kanamycin (Kan) were obtained. Some factors influencing the transformation efficiency, such as the concentration and infection duration of Agrobacterium, the concentration of Acetosyringone (AS), were optimized to establish a stable Agrobacterium mediated gene transformation protocol of A. melilotoides. PCR analysis, Southern blot and RT-PCR detection of some T0 transgenic plants showed that the AtNHX1 gene was evidently integrated into the genome of transgenic plants and couldl be transcripted properly. Under the same salt stress conditions, the detection of NaCl resistance revealed the difference between the wild-type calli and the transgenic calli that induced from the transgenic plants, i.e, the relative growth rates of the transgenic calli were remarkably higher than that of the wild-type calli. The K+ and Na+ contents and relative conductivity in the leaves of the transgenic plants and wild-type plants were estimated. It suggested that under the stress of different concentration of NaCl, K+/Na+ ratio in the transgenic plant cells were always higher than that in wild-type, however the situation of relative conductivity was on the opposite. From the facts above mentioned, the transformation of AtNHX1 gene not only enhanced the salt tolerance of transgenic A. melilotoides, but also reduced the cell membrane damage induced by salinity.

[Cold induced cDNA library construction of highland barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum Hk. f.) using suppression subtractive hybridization technology].

Cold-induced genes of highland barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum Hk. f.) were studied using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) technique. The cDNA from the materials treated with 4 degrees C was used as "tester", and that from the materials growing in green house (20+/-2 degrees C) as "driver". A subtractive library of highland barley including 640 cDNA clones was constructed in this study. Enzyme digestion of 32 clones chosen randomly from the library indicated that 87.5% of them contained inserts. The cDNA inserts of 16 clones were sequenced. Blast search analyses showed that these cDNAs were homologies to genes encoding the following proteins: metallothionein, protein kinase, ethylene signal transcription factor, bZIP transcription factor, zing finger transcription factor, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase, ribosomal protein, sodium: hydrogen antiporter, catalase, NADPH-cytochrome reductase, ascorbate peroxidase, DNA binding protein, and sugar transporter-like protein. These results indicated that the cDNA clones in the library were related to cold-induced genes, and suggested that the cold-tolerant mechanism of highland barley might be a complicated, interactive system involving multiple approaches and genes. Construction of subtractive cDNA library provided an advantage for further studies to isolate and clone cold-induced genes in highland barley.

[Hairy root induction and plant regeneration of Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. f. hueichingensis (Chao et Schih) Hsiao transformed by Agrobacterium rhizogenes].

An efficient system of genetic transformation and plant regeneration was established in Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. f. hueichingensis (Chao et Schih) Hsiao by infecting the segments of leaves, stems and petioles of young regenerated plantlets with Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain 15834. Hairy roots were produced directly from the wounded surface of the explants on hormone-free Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium after infection by A. rhizogenes. Transformed roots grew rapidly either on solid or on liquid 1/2 MS medium, and exhibited typical hairy root phenotypes. The highest transformation frequency of 46.7% was achieved by pre-treating the A. rhizogenes with 100 micromol/L acetosyringone at logarithmic phase (OD600 = 1.8). The calluses with 100% induction frequency were induced from hairy roots on 1/2 MS medium containing 0.2 mg/L KT and 3.0 mg/L 6-BA, from which the shoots with 51.49% differentiation frequency was produced. These shoots could take root at a percentage of 100% and develope into four transformed plantlets when transferred on 1/2 MS medium, which had differences in morphological characters such as dwarfing, shortened nodals and abundant literal branching roots, and which survived vigorously after transplantation. The content of catalpol in an transformed hairy root clone was 0.557 mg/g. FW by means of HPLC, 48.5% and 18% of that in fresh and dried Rehmannia root, respectively. PCR and Southern blot analyses confirmed that rolB gene (564 bp) of TL-DNA was inserted in the genome of transformed hairy roots and their regenerated plantlets. RT-PCR analysis and opine paper electrophoresis detection revealed that TR-DNA containing opine synthetase gene was integrated and expressed in the genome of transformed hairy roots and their regenerated plantlets.

[Protoplast culture and plant regeneration of the methionine resistant variant of Astragalus cicer L].

A protoplast-to-plant system for the methionine resistant variant of Astragalus cicer L. has been developed. The friable calli induced from stem segments of variant plants were used as materials for protoplast isolation through enzyme digestion. The effects of different media and plating densities on protoplast divisions and plant regeneration were studied. Sustained cell divisions and colony formation from the protoplasts of the methionine resistant cell line of Astragalus cicer L. were obtained by a DPD medium containing 2.0 mg/L 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 0.2 mg/L 6 -benzylaminopurine(6-BA), 0.3 mol/L mannitol, 200 mg/L casein hydrolysate and 2% (W/V) sucrose at a plating density of 2x10(5) /ml. The division frequency was 38.3%. At the same time, different dividing types of protoplasts were found. Organogenesis and shoot formation from the protoplast-derived calli were induced on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L NAA, 10 mg/L KT and 2% (W/V) sucrose. The protoplast-derived calli still expressed resistance to methionine. The protoplast to plant regeneration protocol developed in this study might provide the foundation for the resistant cell line as a parent for somatic hybridization.

[Hairy root induction and plant regeneration of crownvetch (Coronilla varia L.) transformed by Agrobacterium rhizogenes].

An efficient system of genetic transformation and plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis was established in crownvetch (Coronilla varia L.) by infecting the segments of cotyledons and hypocotyls of 15d-old seedlings with Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain 15834. Hairy roots were produced directly from the wounded surface of the explants or via calluses on hormone-free Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium after infection by A. rhizogenes. Transformed roots grew rapidly either on solid or liquid MS medium, and exhibited typical hairy root phenotypes. The highest transformation frequency (87.4%) was achieved by preculturing cotyledons for 2d and pre-treating the A. rhizogenes with suitable concentration of acetosyringone at logarithmic phase (OD600 = 0.8). The embryogenic calluses with 100% induction frequency were induced from hairy roots on MS medium containing 0.2mg/L 2,4-D, 0.5mg/L NAA and 0.5mg/L KT. Globular-, heart-, torpedo-, and cotyledon shaped somatic embryos were produced orderly and developed into plantlets when transferred the embryogenic calluses on MS medium supplemented with 0.5mg/L KT, 0.2mg/L IBA and 300mg/L proline. The transformed plants did not show differences in morphology except abundant lateral root branches compared to the non-transformed plants. However, the contents of 3-nitropropanic acid in hairy roots and leaves of one of 5 transformed clones were 57.68% and 58.17% in roots and leaves of untransformed plants, respectively. Opine paper electrophoresis revealed the integration and expression of TR-DNA. PCR analysis confirmed that the TL-DNA including 654 bp rol B sequence was inserted into the genome of transformed hairy roots and their regenerated plants.

Physiological and biochemical characteristics and molecular-biological identification of a gigantic tobacco mutant.

A new gigantic late-flowering tobacco mutant was isolated in tobacco field in Xunyang county, Shaanxi province, in 2001. It was rescued through tissue culture and a large amount of regenerated plantlets were obtained. The results of the comparison between the regenerated plants from this mutant and the wild type plant (K346) were as follows: (1) Morphological observation showed that the leaf number of the mutant was 3.3 times as many as that of the wild type, the height of mutant was 2.2 folds that of the wild type, and the mutant had the late-flowering character. (2) Cytological examination showed that the mutant was a normal diploid, and the number of chloroplasts in a guard cell of mutant was 1.3 times that of the wild type. (3) Both chlorophyll a and b content of the mutant were larger than that of the wild type; soluble protein content of the mutant was 1.18 times as much as that of the wild type. Peroxidase isozyme and cytochrome-oxidase isozyme electrophoresis analyses indicated differences between the mutant and the wild type. The soluble protein SDS-PAGE patterns showed the absence of four bands [P1 (114.6 kD), P2 (103 kD), P3 (66.2 kD), P4 (24 kD)] in the mutant. (4) RAPD analysis showed that the similarity index of the mutant and the wild type was 0.612. This suggested that there were changes at DNA level. The mRNA of mutant leaves at flowering stage was isolated; DDRT-PCR was carried out using 10 random primers, using OligodT(15)M (M=A/G/C) as anchor primer. It has been proved that gene expression at anthesis was different between the mutant and the wild type. (5) Genetic observation showed that the mutant was homozygotic and bred true. And the mutant was a late-flowering one.

[Genetic diversity of yam (Dioscorea opposita Thunb) detected by ISSR markers].

Genetic diversity of 28 cultivars of yam (Dioscorea opposita Thunb) was assessed by means of Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. The results showed that seven proper primers, with rich polymorphism, could be selected from a total of forty four ISSR ones; distinct differences appeared among 28 cultivars amplified bands, and the rate of polymorphic bands was 83.01%; Shannon's Information index was 0.3191; a Jaccard's genetic similarity matrix and a dendrogram for these cultivars were formed, in which they could be divided into four groups: Group 1 was composed of D. opposita. cv. Ribenbai, D. opposita. cv. Huashanyao and D. opposita. cv. Ribenyuan; Group2 contained D. opposita. cv. Xiaoye; Group 3 contained D. opposita. cv. No.1 Songye; other 23 cultivars were put into Group4. PCA(Principal component analysis) was employed to evaluate the resolving power of the markers to differentiate among them. This laid the foundation of the identification of yam cultivars and the efficient use of its germplasm resources.