scholarly journals Beyond identity: Understanding the contribution of the 5’ nucleotide of the antisense strand to RNAi activity

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0256863
Author(s):  
Peizhen Yang ◽  
Ericka Havecker ◽  
Matthew Bauer ◽  
Carl Diehl ◽  
Bill Hendrix ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Antisense Strand ◽  
Homologous Region ◽  
In Planta ◽  
Sirna Duplex ◽  
Magnesium Chelatase ◽  
Sense Strand ◽  
Green Fluorescent

In both the pharmaceutical and agricultural fields, RNA-based products have capitalized upon the mechanism of RNA interference for targeted reduction of gene expression to improve phenotypes and traits. Reduction in gene expression by RNAi is the result of a small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecule binding to an ARGONAUTE (AGO) protein and directing the effector complex to a homologous region of a target gene’s mRNA. siRNAs properties that govern RNA-AGO association have been studied in detail. The siRNA 5’ nucleotide (nt) identity has been demonstrated in plants to be an important property responsible for directing association of endogenous small RNAs with different AGO effector proteins. However, it has not been investigated whether the 5’ nt identity is an efficacious determinant for topically-applied chemically synthesized siRNAs. In this study, we employed a sandpaper abrasion method to study the silencing efficacies of topically-applied 21 base-pair siRNA duplexes. The MAGNESIUM CHELATASE and GREEN FLUORESCENT PROTEIN genes were selected as endogenous and transgenic gene targets, respectively, to assess the molecular and phenotypic effects of gene silencing. Collections of siRNA variants with different 5’ nt identities and different pairing states between the 5’ antisense nt and its match in the sense strand of the siRNA duplex were tested for their silencing efficacy. Our results suggest a flexibility in the 5’ nt requirement for topically applied siRNA duplexes in planta and highlight the similarity of 5’ thermodynamic rules governing topical siRNA efficacy across plants and animals.

scholarly journals pFPL Vectors for High-Throughput Protein Localization in Fungi: Detecting Cytoplasmic Accumulation of Putative Effector Proteins

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyan Gong ◽  
Oscar Hurtado ◽  
Baohua Wang ◽  
Congqing Wu ◽  
Mihwa Yi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fluorescent Proteins ◽  
Protein Localization ◽  
Yellow Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Fungal Transformation ◽  
In Planta ◽  
Green Fluorescent

As part of a large-scale project whose goal was to identify candidate effector proteins in Magnaporthe oryzae, we developed a suite of vectors that facilitate high-throughput protein localization experiments in fungi. These vectors utilize Gateway recombinational cloning to place a gene's promoter and coding sequences upstream and in frame with enhanced cyan fluorescent protein, green fluorescent protein (GFP), monomeric red fluorescence protein (mRFP), and yellow fluorescent protein or a nucleus-targeted mCHERRY variant. The respective Gateway cassettes were incorporated into Agrobacterium-based plasmids to allow efficient fungal transformation using hygromycin or geneticin resistance selection. mRFP proved to be more sensitive than the GFP spectral variants for monitoring proteins secreted in planta; and extensive testing showed that Gateway-derived fusion proteins produced localization patterns identical to their “directly fused” counterparts. Use of plasmid for fungal protein localization (pFPL) vectors with two different selectable markers provided a convenient way to label fungal cells with different fluorescent proteins. We demonstrate the utility of the pFPL vectors for identifying candidate effector proteins and we highlight a number of important factors that must be taken into consideration when screening for proteins that are translocated across the host plasma membrane.

scholarly journals A Gene in the Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato Hrp Pathogenicity Island Conserved Effector Locus, hopPtoA1, Contributes to Efficient Formation of Bacterial Colonies in Planta and Is Duplicated Elsewhere in the Genome

2002 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 1014-1024 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Badel ◽  
A. O. Charkowski ◽  
W.-L. Deng ◽  
A. Collmer
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Syringae ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Pathogenicity Island ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Laser Scanning Microscopy ◽  
Confocal Laser ◽  
In Planta ◽  
Tomato Dc3000 ◽  
Green Fluorescent

The ability of Pseudomonas syringae to grow in planta is thought to be dependent upon the Hrp (type III secretion) system and multiple effector proteins that this system injects into plant cells. ORF5 in the conserved effector locus of the P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 Hrp pathogenicity island was shown to encode a Hrp-secreted protein and to have a similarly secreted homolog encoded in an effector-rich pathogenicity island located elsewhere in the genome. These putative effector genes were designated hopPtoA1 and hopPtoA2, respectively. DNA gel blot analysis revealed that sequences hybridizing with hopPtoA1 were widespread among P. syringae pathovars, and some strains, like DC3000, appear to have two copies of the gene. uidA transcriptional fusions revealed that expression of hopPtoA1 and hopPtoA2 can be activated by the HrpL alternative sigma factor. hopPtoA1 and hopPtoA1/hopPtoA2 double mutants were not obviously different from wild-type P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 in their ability to produce symptoms or to increase their total population size in host tomato and Arabidopsis leaves. However, confocal laser-scanning microscopy of GFP (green fluorescent protein)-labeled bacteria in Arabidopsis leaves 2 days after inoculation revealed that the frequency of undeveloped individual colonies was higher in the hopPtoA1 mutant and even higher in the hopPtoA1/hopPtoA2 double mutant. These results suggest that hopPtoA1 and hopPtoA2 contribute redundantly to the formation of P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 colonies in Arabidopsis leaves.

scholarly journals Agroinfiltration for transient gene expression and characterisation of fungal pathogen effectors in cool-season grain legume hosts

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes W. Debler ◽  
Bernadette M. Henares ◽  
Robert C. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Faba Bean ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Transient Gene Expression ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Field Pea ◽  
Grain Legume ◽  
Pathogen Effectors ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Abstract Key message Modified pEAQ-HT-DEST1 vectors were used for agroinfiltration in legumes. We demonstrate protein expression and export in pea, lentil, and faba bean; however, the method for chickpea was not successful. Abstract Agroinfiltration is a valuable research method for investigating virulence and avirulence effector proteins from pathogens and pests, where heterologous effector proteins are transiently expressed in plant leaves and hypersensitive necrosis responses and other effector functions can be assessed. Nicotiana benthamiana is widely used for agroinfiltration and the characterisation of broad-spectrum effectors. The method has also been used in other plant species including field pea, but not yet developed for chickpea, lentil, or faba bean. Here, we have modified the pEAQ-HT-DEST1 vector for expression of 6 × histidine-tagged green-fluorescent protein (GFP) and the known necrosis-inducing broad-spectrum effector necrosis and ethylene-inducing peptide (Nep1)-like protein (NLP). Modified pEAQ-based vectors were adapted to encode signal peptide sequences for apoplast targeting of expressed proteins. We used confocal microscopy to assess the level of GFP expression in agroinfiltrated leaves. While at 3 days after infiltration in N. benthamiana, GFP was expressed at a relatively high level, expression in field pea and faba bean at the same time point was relatively low. In lentil, an expression level of GFP similar to field pea and faba bean at 3 days was only observed after 5 days. Chickpea leaf cells were transformed at low frequency and agroinfiltration was concluded to not be successful for chickpea. We concluded that the pEAQ vector is suitable for testing host-specific effectors in field pea, lentil, and faba bean, but low transformation efficiency limits the utility of the method for chickpea.

scholarly journals Focal Distribution of Baculovirus IE1 Triggered by Its Binding to the hr DNA Elements

2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshihiro Nagamine ◽  
Yu Kawasaki ◽  
Tetsutaro Iizuka ◽  
Shogo Matsumoto
Keyword(s):  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Direct Repeat ◽  
Single Copy ◽  
Targeted Mutagenesis ◽  
Homologous Region ◽  
Focus Formation ◽  
Primary Determinant ◽  
Dna Elements ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACT In BmN cells infected with the baculovirus Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), IE1, a principal transcriptional activator, localizes to sites of viral DNA replication. IE1 initially displays focal distribution in BmNPV-infected cells prior to DNA synthesis, whereas the protein expressed by transfection with the ie1 gene is distributed throughout the nucleoplasm instead of localized to discrete subnuclear structures. To identify the inducer of focus formation for IE1, we conducted transfection experiments with an IE1-GFP construct and found that cotransfection with genomic DNA fragments bearing the homologous region (hr) sequences caused the formation of IE1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) foci. The transfection of insect cells with a single plasmid containing exclusively the hr3 sequence and the IE1-GFP gene was sufficient to form IE1-GFP foci. These results suggest that hr elements are a primary determinant of the focal distribution of IE1. An analysis of a series of hr3 deletion mutants showed that a single copy of the direct repeat could induce the formation of IE1 foci. Targeted mutagenesis within the hr-binding domain of IE1-GFP caused impairment of the hr-dependent IE1 localization, suggesting that binding of IE1 to the hr elements is essential for the onset of IE1 focus formation. The observation of BmNPV IE1 foci in non-BmNPV-susceptible cells suggests that no species-specific factors are required for hr-dependent IE1 focus formation.

scholarly journals Moderate and intensive mechanical loading differentially modulate the phenotype of tendon stem/progenitor cells in vivo

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0242640
Author(s):  
Jianying Zhang ◽  
Daibang Nie ◽  
Kelly Williamson ◽  
Arthur McDowell ◽  
MaCalus V. Hogan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Cell Morphology ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Treadmill Running ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Tendon Cells ◽  
Elevated Expression ◽  
Green Fluorescent

To examine the differential mechanobiological responses of specific resident tendon cells, we developed an in vivo model of whole-body irradiation followed by injection of either tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSCs) expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP-TSCs) or mature tenocytes expressing GFP (GFP-TNCs) into the patellar tendons of wild type C57 mice. Injected mice were subjected to short term (3 weeks) treadmill running, specifically moderate treadmill running (MTR) and intensive treadmill running (ITR). In MTR mice, both GFP-TSC and GFP-TNC injected tendons maintained normal cell morphology with elevated expression of tendon related markers collagen I and tenomodulin. In ITR mice injected with GFP-TNCs, cells also maintained an elongated shape similar to the shape found in normal/untreated control mice, as well as elevated expression of tendon related markers. However, ITR mice injected with GFP-TSCs showed abnormal changes, such as cell morphology transitioning to a round shape, elevated chondrogenic differentiation, and increased gene expression of non-tenocyte related genes LPL, Runx-2, and SOX-9. Increased gene expression data was supported by immunostaining showing elevated expression of SOX-9, Runx-2, and PPARγ. This study provides evidence that while MTR maintains tendon homeostasis by promoting the differentiation of TSCs into TNCs, ITR causes the onset of tendinopathy development by inducing non-tenocyte differentiation of TSCs, which may eventually lead to the formation of non-tendinous tissues in tendon tissue after long term mechanical overloading conditions on the tendon.

Green Fluorescent Protein: A Tool for Gene Expression and Cell Biology in Mycobacteria

2003 ◽  
pp. 245-260
Author(s):  
Laura E. Via ◽  
Subramanian Dhandayuthapani ◽  
Dusanka Deretic ◽  
V. Deretic
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Green Fluorescent

In Situ Gene Expression in Mixed-Culture Biofilms: Evidence of Metabolic Interactions between Community Members

1998 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 721-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Søren Møller ◽  
Claus Sternberg ◽  
Jens Bo Andersen ◽  
Bjarke Bak Christensen ◽  
Juan Luis Ramos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Pure Culture ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Confocal Laser ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Metabolic Interactions ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACT Microbial communities growing in laboratory-based flow chambers were investigated in order to study compartmentalization of specific gene expression. Among the community members studied, the focus was in particular on Pseudomonas putida and a strain of anAcinetobacter sp., and the genes studied are involved in the biodegradation of toluene and related aromatic compounds. The upper-pathway promoter (Pu) and themeta-pathway promoter (Pm) from the TOL plasmid were fused independently to the gene coding for the green fluorescent protein (GFP), and expression from these promoters was studied inP. putida, which was a dominant community member. Biofilms were cultured in flow chambers, which in combination with scanning confocal laser microscopy allowed direct monitoring of promoter activity with single-cell spatial resolution. Expression from thePu promoter was homogeneously induced by benzyl alcohol in both community and pure-culture biofilms, while the Pmpromoter was induced in the mixed community but not in a pure-culture biofilm. By sequentially adding community members, induction ofPm was shown to be a consequence of direct metabolic interactions between an Acinetobacter species and P. putida. Furthermore, in fixed biofilm samples organism identity was determined and gene expression was visualized at the same time by combining GFP expression with in situ hybridization with fluorescence-labeled 16S rRNA targeting probes. This combination of techniques is a powerful approach for investigating structure-function relationships in microbial communities.

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