Functional characterization of a potassium transporter gene NrHAK1 in Nicotiana rustica.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the function of a novel potassium transporter gene (NrHAK1) isolated from Nicotiana rustica roots using yeast complement and real-time PCR technique. The complementary DNA (cDNA) of NrHAK1, 2 488 bp long, contains an open reading frame (ORF) of 2 334 bp encoding a protein of 777 amino acids (87.6 kDa) with 12 predicted transmembrane domains.

[Expression of TMV coat protein gene RNAi in transgenic tobacco plants confer immunity to tobacco mosaic virus infection].

RNAi technique has been proved as a powerful tool for plant breeding. In this paper, the coat protein of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) was used for constructing the RNAi interference vector. The tobacco varieties K326 and Longjiang 911 were transformed via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation, and transgenic plants were generated.

Directed evolution of beta-galactosidase from Escherichia coli into beta-glucuronidase.

In vitro directed evolution through DNA shuffling is a powerful molecular tool for creation of new biological phenotypes. E. coli beta-galactosidase and beta-glucuronidase are widely used, and their biological function, catalytic mechanism, and molecular structures are well characterized.

Isolation and characterization of a novel cDNA encoding ERF/AP2-type transcription factor OsAP25 from Oryza sativa L.

Using a yeast one-hybrid method, a transcription factor, OsAP25, which interacts specifically with a GCC box was isolated from rice. The OsAP25 protein contained a conserved ethylene-responsive element binding factor (ERF) domain which shared identity with other reported ERF domains. Phylogenetic analysis showed that OsAP25 could be categorized into class III ERF of the previously characterized ERF proteins on an evolutionary relationship.