Project description:Among Brassica rapa, rapid cycling Brassica rapa and Brassica rapa inbred line Kenshin showed contrasting leaf morphology. To identify genes associated with leaf morphology, four distinct F2 progeny of RcBr X Kenshin cross and their parents were selected. Leaf samples were collected from 6 materials, isolated total RNA, and subjected to newly developved 135K microarray. Experiments were performed with three or two biologic
Project description:Transcription profiling of Brassica rapa, Brassica oleracea and Brassica napus I and II The nuclear genomes of the resynthesised B. napus lines should be identical but, as one (B. napus I) involved a cross of B. oleracea onto B. rapa, and the other (B. napus II) involved a cross of B rapa onto B. oleracea, they differ in cytoplasm, and hence contain different chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes.
Project description:Cytosine DNA methylation (mC) can silence transposable elements (TEs) and regulate gene expression. However, the mechanism and function of DNA methylation reprogramming during plant development are still largely unknown. To explore the DNA methylation dynamics during the male sexual-lineage development in the Brassicaceae family, we assessed the mC level in meiocyte, microspore and pollen of a Brassica rapa doubled haploid (DH) line by whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS). Analysis of global mC profiles showed that significant reprogramming of CHH methylation occurred in the Brassica rapa male sex cells, similar to that observed in Arabidopsis. Analysis of differential methylation sites identified specific methylation loci in sex cells that can target and possibly regulate gene expression, suggesting a mechanism consistent with that of Arabidopsis. Quite a few long terminal repeat (LTR) transposable elements were activated in meiocyte and microspore, which correlated with reduced DNA methylation. Expression analysis of key genes that affect DNA methylation showed that active methylation and demethylation occurred during male sexual lineage development. These results suggest a conserved DNA methylation reprogramming mechanism during Brassica rapa male sex lineage development. The transcriptome and DNA methylome data obtained will also be useful for other mechanism studies in Brassica rapa.
Project description:In plants, fatty acids are de novo synthesized predominantly in plastids fromacetyl-CoA. Although fatty acid biosynthesis has been biochemically well-studied, little isknown about the regulatory mechanisms of the pathway. Here, we show that overexpressionof the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) LEAFY COTYLEDON1 (LEC1) gene causesglobally increased expression of fatty acid biosynthetic genes, which are involved in keyreactions of condensation, chain elongation and desaturation of fatty acid biosynthesis. Inthe plastidial fatty acid synthetic pathway, over 58% of known enzyme-coding genes areupregulated in LEC1-overexpressing transgenic plants, including those encoding threesubunits of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, a key enzyme controlling the fatty acid biosynthesisflux. Moreover, genes involved in glycolysis and lipid accumulation are also upregulated.Consistent with these results, levels of major fatty acid species and lipids were substantiallyincreased in the transgenic plants. Genetic analysis indicates that the LEC1 function ispartially dependent on ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3, FUSCA3 and WRINKLED1 in theregulation of fatty acid biosynthesis. Moreover, a similar phenotype was observed intransgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing two LEC1-like genes of Brassica napus.These results suggest that LEC1 and LEC1-like genes act as key regulators to coordinate theexpression of fatty acid biosynthetic genes, thereby representing a promising target forgenetic improvement of oil-production plants.