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Cole‐Osborn LF, Meehan E, Lee‐Parsons CWT. Critical parameters for robust Agrobacterium-mediated transient transformation and quantitative promoter assays in Catharanthus roseus seedlings. PLANT DIRECT 2024; 8:e596. [PMID: 38855128 PMCID: PMC11154794 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression methods are widely used to study gene function in both model and non-model plants. Using a dual-luciferase assay, we quantified the effect of Agrobacterium-infiltration parameters on the transient transformation efficiency of Catharanthus roseus seedlings. We showed that transformation efficiency is highly sensitive to seedling developmental state and a pre- and post-infiltration dark incubation and is less sensitive to the Agrobacterium growth stage. For example, 5 versus 6 days of germination in the dark increased seedling transformation efficiency by seven- to eight-fold while a dark incubation pre- and post-infiltration increased transformation efficiency by five- to 13-fold. Agrobacterium in exponential compared with stationary phase increased transformation efficiency by two-fold. Finally, we quantified the variation in our Agrobacterium-infiltration method in replicate infiltrations and experiments. Within a given experiment, significant differences of up to 2.6-fold in raw firefly luciferase (FLUC) and raw Renilla luciferase (RLUC) luminescence occurred in replicate infiltrations. These differences were significantly reduced when FLUC was normalized to RLUC values, highlighting the utility of including a reference reporter to minimize false positives. Including a second experimental replicate further reduced the potential for false positives. This optimization and quantitative validation of Agrobacterium infiltration in C. roseus seedlings will facilitate the study of this important medicinal plant and will expand the application of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation methods in other plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emma Meehan
- Department of Chemical EngineeringNortheastern UniversityBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Carolyn W. T. Lee‐Parsons
- Department of Chemical EngineeringNortheastern UniversityBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyNortheastern UniversityBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of BioengineeringNortheastern UniversityBostonMassachusettsUSA
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2
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Analysis and Functional Verification of PlPM19L Gene Associated with Drought-Resistance in Paeonia lactiflora Pall. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232415695. [PMID: 36555332 PMCID: PMC9779317 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) is widely cultivated as an ornamental, medicinal and edible plant in China. Drought stress can seriously affect the growth of herbaceous peony and reduce its quality. In our previous research, a significantly differentially expressed gene, PM19L, was obtained in herbaceous peony under drought stress based on transcriptome analysis, but little is known about its function. In this study, the first PM19L that was isolated in herbaceous peony was comprised of 910 bp, and was designated as PlPM19L (OP480984). It had a complete open reading frame of 537 bp and encoded a 178-amino acid protein with a molecular weight of 18.95 kDa, which was located in the membrane. When PlPM19L was transferred into tobacco, the transgenic plants had enhanced tolerance to drought stress, potentially due to the increase in the abscisic acid (ABA) content and the reduction in the level of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In addition, the enhanced ability to scavenge H2O2 under drought stress led to improvements in the enzyme activity and the potential photosynthetic capacity. These results combined suggest that PlPM19L is a key factor to conferring drought stress tolerance in herbaceous peony and provide a scientific theoretical basis for the following improvement in the drought resistance of herbaceous peony and other plants through genetic engineering technology.
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3
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Mortensen S, Cole LF, Bernal-Franco D, Sathitloetsakun S, Cram EJ, Lee-Parsons CWT. EASI Transformation Protocol: An Agrobacterium-Mediated Transient Transformation Protocol for Catharanthus roseus Seedlings. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2505:249-262. [PMID: 35732950 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2349-7_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Catharanthus roseus produces medicinal terpenoid indole alkaloids, including the critical anti-cancer compounds vinblastine and vincristine in its leaves. Recently, we developed a highly efficient transient expression method relying on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of seedlings to facilitate rapid and high-throughput studies on the regulation of terpenoid indole alkaloid biosynthesis in C. roseus . We detail our optimized protocol known as efficient Agrobacterium-mediated seedling infiltration method (EASI), including the development of constructs used in EASI and an example experimental design that includes appropriate controls. We applied our EASI method to rapidly screen and evaluate transcriptional activators and repressors and promoter activity. Our EASI method can be used for promoter transactivation studies or transgene overexpression paired with downstream analyses like quantitative PCR or metabolite analysis. Our protocol takes about 16 days from sowing seeds to obtaining the results of the experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lauren F Cole
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Diana Bernal-Franco
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Suphinya Sathitloetsakun
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erin J Cram
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carolyn W T Lee-Parsons
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
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4
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Koudounas K, Carqueijeiro I, Lemos Cruz P, Perrin J, Lanoue A, Oudin A, Besseau S, Courdavault V. A Rapid and Efficient Vacuum-Based Agroinfiltration Protocol for Transient Gene Overexpression in Leaves of Catharanthus roseus. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2505:263-279. [PMID: 35732951 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2349-7_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Functional genomics analyses in planta can be hampered in non-model plants that are recalcitrant to the genetic transformation such as the medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus (Apocynaceae). No stable transformation and regeneration of plantlets have been achieved with a high efficiency in this plant to date. In addition, while virus-mediated transient gene silencing has been reported a decade ago in C. roseus, tools for transient overexpression remain scarce. Here, we describe an efficient and reliable methodology for transiently overexpressing any gene of interest in C. roseus leaves. This protocol combines a vacuum-based Agroinfiltration approach and the high translational efficiency of a deconstructed virus-based binary vector (pEAQ-HT). The described methodology is robust, easy to perform, and results in high amount of transient expression in C. roseus. This protocol is expected to serve as valuable tool to enhance the in planta characterization of gene functions or even transiently knock-in novel enzymatic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ines Carqueijeiro
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Pamela Lemos Cruz
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Jennifer Perrin
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Arnaud Lanoue
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Audrey Oudin
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Sébastien Besseau
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Vincent Courdavault
- EA2106 Biomolécules et Biotechnologies Végétales, Université de Tours, Tours, France.
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5
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Colinas M, Goossens A. Transient Gene Expression in Catharanthus roseus Flower Petals Using Agroinfiltration. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2505:281-291. [PMID: 35732952 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2349-7_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Transient transformation methods are frequently used to determine gene function. However, until recently only a few methods have been available in the model medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus. Here, we describe a rapid and highly reproducible protocol for the overexpression of genes of interest by agroinfiltration of C. roseus flower petals. This high throughput method is particularly suitable for screening purposes, for instance, target gene screening of transcription factor candidates, and complements other available methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maite Colinas
- Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
| | - Alain Goossens
- Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent, Belgium.
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium.
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6
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Liu Y, Patra B, Singh SK, Paul P, Zhou Y, Li Y, Wang Y, Pattanaik S, Yuan L. Terpenoid indole alkaloid biosynthesis in Catharanthus roseus: effects and prospects of environmental factors in metabolic engineering. Biotechnol Lett 2021; 43:2085-2103. [PMID: 34564757 PMCID: PMC8510960 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-021-03179-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Plants synthesize a vast array of specialized metabolites that primarily contribute to their defense and survival under adverse conditions. Many of the specialized metabolites have therapeutic values as drugs. Biosynthesis of specialized metabolites is affected by environmental factors including light, temperature, drought, salinity, and nutrients, as well as pathogens and insects. These environmental factors trigger a myriad of changes in gene expression at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. The dynamic changes in gene expression are mediated by several regulatory proteins that perceive and transduce the signals, leading to up- or down-regulation of the metabolic pathways. Exploring the environmental effects and related signal cascades is a strategy in metabolic engineering to produce valuable specialized metabolites. However, mechanistic studies on environmental factors affecting specialized metabolism are limited. The medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar periwinkle) is an important source of bioactive terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs), including the anticancer therapeutics vinblastine and vincristine. The emerging picture shows that various environmental factors significantly alter TIA accumulation by affecting the expression of regulatory and enzyme-encoding genes in the pathway. Compared to our understanding of the TIA pathway in response to the phytohormone jasmonate, the impacts of environmental factors on TIA biosynthesis are insufficiently studied and discussed. This review thus focuses on these aspects and discusses possible strategies for metabolic engineering of TIA biosynthesis. PURPOSE OF WORK: Catharanthus roseus is a rich source of bioactive terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs). The objective of this work is to present a comprehensive account of the influence of various biotic and abiotic factors on TIA biosynthesis and to discuss possible strategies to enhance TIA production through metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongliang Liu
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546 USA
| | - Barunava Patra
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546 USA
| | - Sanjay Kumar Singh
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546 USA
| | - Priyanka Paul
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546 USA
| | - Yan Zhou
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546 USA
| | - Yongqing Li
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Ying Wang
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Sitakanta Pattanaik
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546 USA
| | - Ling Yuan
- Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546 USA
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7
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Sun J, Chen T, Liu M, Zhao D, Tao J. Analysis and Functional Verification of PoWRI1 Gene Associated with Oil Accumulation Process in Paeonia ostii. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22136996. [PMID: 34209706 PMCID: PMC8267616 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22136996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The plant transcription factor WRINKLED1 (WRI1), a member of AP2/EREBP, is involved in the regulation of glycolysis and the expression of genes related to the de novo synthesis of fatty acids in plastids. In this study, the key regulator of seed oil synthesis and accumulation transcription factor gene PoWRI1 was identified and cloned, having a complete open reading frame of 1269 bp and encoding 422 amino acids. Subcellular localization analysis showed that PoWRI1 is located at the nucleus. After the expression vector of PoWRI1 was constructed and transformed into wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana, it was found that the overexpression of PoWRI1 increased the expression level of downstream target genes such as BCCP2, KAS1, and PKP-β1. As a result, the seeds of transgenic plants became larger, the oil content increased significantly, and the unsaturated fatty acid content increased, which provide a scientific theoretical basis for the subsequent use of genetic engineering methods to improve the fatty acid composition and content of plant seeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Sun
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (J.S.); (T.C.); (M.L.); (D.Z.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Tian Chen
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (J.S.); (T.C.); (M.L.); (D.Z.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Mi Liu
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (J.S.); (T.C.); (M.L.); (D.Z.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Daqiu Zhao
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (J.S.); (T.C.); (M.L.); (D.Z.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jun Tao
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (J.S.); (T.C.); (M.L.); (D.Z.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-0514-87997219
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8
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Xia P, Hu W, Liang T, Yang D, Liang Z. An attempt to establish an Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression system in medicinal plants. PROTOPLASMA 2020; 257:1497-1505. [PMID: 32564134 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-020-01524-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Genetic transformation has always been an important method for studying medical plant secondary metabolic regulation, among which stable transformation has a good reproducibility. However, it was time-consuming to obtain a stable transformed hairy root or transgenic plants, which was difficult to satisfy the great demand of researches on medical plant secondary metabolism-related genes. Moreover, Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient transformation has been extensively applied in studies of functional genes because of its simpleness, low cost, and short period. However, presently, researches on medical plant functional genes commonly used stable genetic transformation and some high-cost and high-difficulty transient transformation methods, such as gene gun and protoplast transformation. Thus, in this study, we selected the seedlings of Nicotiana benthamiana, Salvia miltiorrhiza, and Prunella vulgaris as the experimental material, with the methods of Agrobacterium tumefaciens injection, fast Agrobacterium-mediated seedling transformation (FAST), and FAST and mechanical damage. The results demonstrated that the injection transient transformation system of pCAMBIA1301 vector mediated by A. tumefaciens and the transient transformation of seedling system were not established in S. miltiorrhiza. In addition, the instantaneous transformation system of N. benthamiana and P. vulgaris seedlings was basically set up by FAST method. Besides, using the method of FAST and mechanical damage, the transient genetic transformation system of P. vulgaris seedlings was established for the first time. A. tumefaciens-mediated transient transformation of seedlings with pEAQ vectors provided an effective way and reference for the further study of functional genes of the medicinal plants N. benthamiana and P. vulgaris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengguo Xia
- Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Wanying Hu
- Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Tongyao Liang
- Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Dongfeng Yang
- Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Zongsuo Liang
- Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
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9
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Mortensen S, Weaver JD, Sathitloetsakun S, Cole LF, Rizvi NF, Cram EJ, Lee‐Parsons CWT. The regulation of ZCT1, a transcriptional repressor of monoterpenoid indole alkaloid biosynthetic genes in Catharanthus roseus. PLANT DIRECT 2019; 3:e00193. [PMID: 31909362 PMCID: PMC6937483 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Cys2/His2-type (C2H2) zinc finger proteins, such as ZCT1, are an important class of transcription factors involved in growth, development, and stress responses in plants. In the medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus, the zinc finger Catharanthus transcription factor (ZCT) family represses monoterpenoid indole alkaloid (MIA) biosynthetic gene expression. Here, we report the analysis of the ZCT1 promoter, which contains several hormone-responsive elements. ZCT1 is responsive to not only jasmonate, as was previously known, but is also induced by the synthetic auxin, 1-naphthalene acetic acid (1-NAA). Through promoter deletion analysis, we show that an activation sequence-1-like (as-1-like)-motif and other motifs contribute significantly to ZCT1 expression in seedlings. We also show that the activator ORCA3 does not transactivate the expression of ZCT1 in seedlings, but ZCT1 represses its own promoter, suggesting a feedback mechanism by which the expression of ZCT1 can be limited.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Suphinya Sathitloetsakun
- Department of BiologyNortheastern UniversityBostonMAUSA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyNortheastern UniversityBostonMAUSA
| | - Lauren F. Cole
- Department of BioengineeringNortheastern UniversityBostonMAUSA
| | - Noreen F. Rizvi
- Department of Chemical EngineeringNortheastern UniversityBostonMAUSA
| | - Erin J. Cram
- Department of BiologyNortheastern UniversityBostonMAUSA
| | - Carolyn W. T. Lee‐Parsons
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyNortheastern UniversityBostonMAUSA
- Department of Chemical EngineeringNortheastern UniversityBostonMAUSA
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10
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Mortensen S, Bernal-Franco D, Cole LF, Sathitloetsakun S, Cram EJ, Lee-Parsons CWT. EASI Transformation: An Efficient Transient Expression Method for Analyzing Gene Function in Catharanthus roseus Seedlings. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:755. [PMID: 31263474 PMCID: PMC6585625 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The Catharanthus roseus plant is the exclusive source of the valuable anticancer terpenoid indole alkaloids, vinblastine (VB) and vincristine (VC). The recent availability of transcriptome and genome resources for C. roseus necessitates a fast and reliable method for studying gene function. In this study, we developed an Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression method to enable the functional study of genes rapidly in planta, conserving the compartmentalization observed in the VB and VC pathway. We focused on (1) improving the transformation method (syringe versus vacuum agroinfiltration) and cultivation conditions (seedling age, Agrobacterium density, and time point of maximum transgene expression), (2) improving transformation efficiency through the constitutive expression of the virulence genes and suppressing RNA silencing mechanisms, and (3) improving the vector design by incorporating introns, quantitative and qualitative reporter genes (luciferase and GUS genes), and accounting for transformation heterogeneity across the tissue using an internal control. Of all the parameters tested, vacuum infiltration of young seedlings (10-day-old, harvested 3 days post-infection) resulted in the strongest increase in transgene expression, at 18 - 57 fold higher than either vacuum or syringe infiltration of other seedling ages. Endowing the A. tumefaciens strain with the mutated VirGN54D or silencing suppressors within the same plasmid as the reporter gene further increased expression by 2 - 10 fold. For accurate measurement of promoter transactivation or activity, we included an internal control to normalize the differences in plant mass and transformation efficiency. Including the normalization gene (Renilla luciferase) on the same plasmid as the reporter gene (firefly luciferase) consistently yielded a high signal and a high correlation between RLUC and FLUC. As proof of principle, we applied this approach to investigate the regulation of the CroSTR1 promoter with the well-known activator ORCA3 and repressor ZCT1. Our method demonstrated the quantitative assessment of both the activation and repression of promoter activity in C. roseus. Our efficient Agrobacterium-mediated seedling infiltration (EASI) protocol allows highly efficient, reproducible, and homogenous transformation of C. roseus cotyledons and provides a timely tool for the community to rapidly assess the function of genes in planta, particularly for investigating how transcription factors regulate terpenoid indole alkaloid biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Mortensen
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Diana Bernal-Franco
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Lauren F. Cole
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Suphinya Sathitloetsakun
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Erin J. Cram
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Carolyn W. T. Lee-Parsons
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
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11
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Sharma A, Verma P, Mathur A, Mathur AK. Genetic engineering approach using early Vinca alkaloid biosynthesis genes led to increased tryptamine and terpenoid indole alkaloids biosynthesis in differentiating cultures of Catharanthus roseus. PROTOPLASMA 2018; 255:425-435. [PMID: 28808798 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-017-1151-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Catharanthus roseus today occupies the central position in ongoing metabolic engineering efforts in medicinal plants. The entire multi-step biogenetic pathway of its very expensive anticancerous alkaloids vinblastine and vincristine is fairly very well dissected at biochemical and gene levels except the pathway steps leading to biosynthesis of monomeric alkaloid catharanthine and tabersonine. In order to enhance the plant-based productivity of these pharma molecules for the drug industry, cell and tissue cultures of C. roseus are being increasingly tested to provide their alternate production platforms. However, a rigid developmental regulation and involvement of different cell, tissues, and organelles in the synthesis of these alkaloids have restricted the utility of these cultures. Therefore, the present study was carried out with pushing the terpenoid indole alkaloid pathway metabolic flux towards dimeric alkaloids vinblastine and vincristine production by over-expressing the two upstream pathway genes tryptophan decarboxylase and strictosidine synthase at two different levels of cellular organization viz. callus and leaf tissues. The transformation experiments were carried out using Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA1119 strain having tryptophan decarboxylase and strictosidine synthase gene cassette. The callus transformation reported a maximum of 0.027% dry wt vindoline and 0.053% dry wt catharanthine production, whereas, the transiently transformed leaves reported a maximum of 0.30% dry wt vindoline, 0.10% catharanthine, and 0.0027% dry wt vinblastine content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Sharma
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, PO CIMAP, Kukrail Picnic Spot Road, Lucknow, 226015, India
| | - Priyanka Verma
- Division of Biochemical Science, National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune, 411008, India
| | - Archana Mathur
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, PO CIMAP, Kukrail Picnic Spot Road, Lucknow, 226015, India
| | - Ajay Kumar Mathur
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, PO CIMAP, Kukrail Picnic Spot Road, Lucknow, 226015, India.
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12
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Hayta S, Smedley MA, Li J, Harwood WA, Gilmartin PM. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation systems of Primula vulgaris. PLANT METHODS 2018; 14:93. [PMID: 30386411 PMCID: PMC6204026 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-018-0360-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic transformation is a valuable tool and an important procedure in plant functional genomics contributing to gene discovery, allowing powerful insights into gene function and genetically controlled characteristics. Primulaceae species provide one of the best-known examples of heteromorphic flower development, a breeding system which has attracted considerable attention, including that of Charles Darwin. Molecular approaches, including plant transformation give the best opportunity to define and understand the role of genes involved in floral heteromorphy in the common primrose, Primula vulgaris, along with other Primula species. RESULTS Two transformation systems have been developed in P. vulgaris. The first system, Agrobacterium-mediated vacuum infiltration of seedlings, enables the rapid testing of transgenes, transiently in planta. GUS expression was observed in the cotyledons, true leaves, and roots of Primula seedlings. The second system is based on Agrobacterium tumefaciens infection of pedicel explants with an average transformation efficiency of 4.6%. This transformation system, based on regeneration and selection of transformants within in vitro culture, demonstrates stable transgene integration and transmission to the next generation. CONCLUSION The two transformation systems reported here will aid fundamental research into important traits in Primula. Although, stable integration of transgenes is the ultimate goal for such analyses, transient gene expression via Agrobacterium-mediated DNA transfer, offers a simple and fast method to analyse transgene functions. The second system describes, for the first time, stable Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Primula vulgaris, which will be key to characterising the genes responsible for the control of floral heteromorphy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadiye Hayta
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH UK
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH UK
| | - Mark A. Smedley
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH UK
| | - Jinhong Li
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH UK
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH UK
| | | | - Philip M. Gilmartin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH UK
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH UK
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Hwang HH, Yu M, Lai EM. Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation: biology and applications. THE ARABIDOPSIS BOOK 2017; 15:e0186. [PMID: 31068763 PMCID: PMC6501860 DOI: 10.1199/tab.0186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Plant genetic transformation heavily relies on the bacterial pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens as a powerful tool to deliver genes of interest into a host plant. Inside the plant nucleus, the transferred DNA is capable of integrating into the plant genome for inheritance to the next generation (i.e. stable transformation). Alternatively, the foreign DNA can transiently remain in the nucleus without integrating into the genome but still be transcribed to produce desirable gene products (i.e. transient transformation). From the discovery of A. tumefaciens to its wide application in plant biotechnology, numerous aspects of the interaction between A. tumefaciens and plants have been elucidated. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the biology and the applications of Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation, which may be useful for both microbiologists and plant biologists who desire a better understanding of plant transformation, protein expression in plants, and plant-microbe interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hau-Hsuan Hwang
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, 402
| | - Manda Yu
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, 115
| | - Erh-Min Lai
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, 115
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