K. C. Sink

A Unique Set of 11,008 Onion Expressed Sequence Tags Reveals Expressed Sequence and Genomic Differences between the Monocot Orders Asparagales and Poales

Enormous genomic resources have been developed for plants in the monocot order Poales; however, it is not clear how representative the Poales are for the monocots as a whole. The Asparagales are a monophyletic order sister to the lineage carrying the Poales and possess economically important plants such as asparagus, garlic, and onion. To assess the genomic differences between the Asparagales and Poales, we generated 11,008 unique ESTs from a normalized cDNA library of onion. Sequence analyses of these ESTs revealed microsatellite markers, single nucleotide polymorphisms, and homologs of transposable elements. Mean nucleotide similarity between rice and the Asparagales was 78% across coding regions. Expressed sequence and genomic comparisons revealed strong differences between the Asparagales and Poales for codon usage and mean GC content, GC distribution, and relative GC content at each codon position, indicating that genomic characteristics are not uniform across the monocots. The Asparagales were more similar to eudicots than to the Poales for these genomic characteristics.

RAPD and SCAR markers linked to the sex expression locus M in asparagus

Bulk segregant analysis (BSA), random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) methods were used to map molecular markers to the sex locus M of asparagus. Two parents, A19 (male, Mm) and MW25 (female, mm), and 63 progeny were used for the study. Two DNA bulks, one male and one female, were made by pooling equal amounts of DNA from 10 randomly selected progeny of each sex type. A total of 760 arbitrary decamer oligonucleotide primers were used for RAPD analysis. Primer OPC15 produced two RAPD markers, OPC15-98 and OPC15-30, both of which were linked to the M locus at a distance of 1.6 cM. Subsequently, amplified RAPD fragment OPC15-98 was cloned and sequenced. The sequence was then used to design flanking 24-mer oligonucleotide SCAR primers SCC15-1 and SCC15-2. Both of these SCAR primers amplified a single 980 bp fragment; the same size as the cloned RAPD fragment. However, the SCAR marker was dominant as was the original OPC15-98 band from which it was derived. These RAPD and SCAR markers could be used for scoring male and female progeny in the mapping population, but were not found to be applicable to other asparagus germplasm studied.

Somatic hybrid plants between Lycopersicon esculentum and Solanum lycopersicoides

SummaryLeaf mesophyll protoplasts of Lycopersicon esculentum (2n=2x=24) were fused with suspension culture-derived protoplasts of Solanum lycopersicoides (2n=2x=24) and intergeneric somatic hybrid plants were regenerated following selective conditions. A two phase selection system was based on the inability of S. lycopersicoides protoplasts to divide in culture in modified medium 8E and the partial inhibition of L. esculentum protoplasts by the PEG/DMSO fusion solution. At the p-calli stage, putative hybrids were visually selected based on their hybrid vigor and lime-green coloration in contrast to slower growing parental calli characterized by a watery, whitish-brown coloration. Early identification of the eight hybrid plants studied was facilitated by isozyme analysis of leaf tissue samples taken from plants in vitro at the rooting stage. Regenerated plants growing in planting medium were further verified for hybridity by 5 isozymes marking 7 loci on 5 chromosomes in tomato. These included Skdh-1 mapped to chromosome 1 of tomato, Pgm-2 on chromosome 4, Got-2 and Got-3 on chromosome 7, Got-4 on chromosome 8, and Pgi-1 and Pgdh-2 both on chromosome 12. Fraction I protein small subunits further confirmed the hybrid nature of the plants with bands of both parents expressed in all hybrids. The parental chloroplasts could not be differentiated by the isoelectric points of the large subunit. Seven of the eight somatic hybrids had a chromosome number ranging from the expected 2n=4x=48 to 2n=68. Mixoploid root-tip cells containing 48, 53, 54 or 55 chromosomes for two of the hybrids were also observed.

Rooting-enhancement of Rosa hybrida for tissue culture propagation

Abstract The effect of combinations of auxin sources and concentrations, temperature shifts, light intensity and light reduction on shoot-tips were studied relative to root formation of Rosa hybrida L. ‘Bridal Pink’ propagated in vitro. 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid alone was almost ineffective, and similarly its combinations with other auxins were less effective than other auxin combinations. While indolebutyric acid (IBA) alone did not stimulate rooting, both indoleacetic acid (IAA) and naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) were effective. Combinations of NAA and IBA and NAA and IAA were equally effective in stimulating rooting and also enhanced rooting more than IAA, IBA or NAA alone. When root quality is considered, the combination of NAA and IBA was better than that of NAA and IAA. An additive effect on rooting existed between NAA and IAA at most concentrations used. A similar effect was evident between NAA and IBA except when NAA was used at 0.025 mg/l, in which cases synergistic effects were observed. Light reduction to the rooting area, light intensities of 1.0 K lux or lower and holding the cultures for 1 week at 5°C all enhanced rooting.

Transformation of the limonene synthase gene into peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) and preliminary studies on the essential oil profiles of single transgenic plants

Abstract Agrobacterium-mediated and direct gene transfer into protoplasts using PEG were both successfully used to produce stable, transformed peppermint plants (Mentha×piperita L. cultivar Black Mitcham) with the limonene synthase gene. Stem internode explants found to possess a high level of organogenesis through adventitious shoot formation were subjected to Agrobacterium tumefaciens disarmed strain GV3101 (pMP90). Following the development of an efficient protoplast-to-plant cycle from stem-isolated protoplasts, they were used in direct gene transformations. In both cases the binary vector pGA643 carrying the nptII/GUS genes, both driven by the CaMV35S promoter, was used in preliminary plant-transformation studies. Later, GUS was replaced with the limonene synthase gene. Kanamycin was used as a selective agent in all transformation experiments to obtain both transformed protoplast-derived calli as well as putative transgenic shoots regenerated from internode explants. Both types of transformation resulted in transgenic plants which were detected using PCR and confirmed by Southern-blot hybridizations. Southern analysis revealed that the method of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is superior to the direct DNA uptake into protoplasts with regard to the stability of the insert during the transformation event. Single transgenic plants were grown to 10% flowering in a greenhouse and the plants derived both by the Agrobacterium and the protoplast-derived methods were generally observed to have essential oil profiles characterized by a high-menthone, low-menthol, high-menthofuran and –pulegone content in comparison to a typical mid-west peppermint. Limonene varied only slightly, around 1.2%, in transgenic plants produced by both methods.

Plant regeneration from leaf protoplasts of six tomato cultivars

Abstract Leaf protoplasts were isolated from 3–4-week-old tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) seedlings of eight cultivars grown in a controlled environment chamber. Modification of medium 8E for tomato protoplast culture, frequent removal of used medium and addition of fresh medium, decreasing the volume of culture medium by half, and transferring of 8–10-week-old protoplast-derived calluses to filter paper laid on agar medium permitted routine production of viable, large size (0.5 cm) calluses capable of shoot regeneration. Shoot regeneration ranged from 1–22% from protoplast-derived calluses of six tomato cultivars. Regenerated shoots of all six cultivars were easily rooted, transferred to soil-less planting medium and grown to flowering in the greenhouse.

Interspecific somatic hybrid plants between eggplant (Solanum melongena) and Solanum torvum

SummaryMesophyll protoplasts of eggplant (cv Black Beauty) and of Solanum torvum (both 2n=2x=24) were fused using a modification of the Menczel and Wolfe PEG/DMSO procedure. Protoplasts post-fusion were plated at 1 × 105/ml in modified KM medium, which inhibited division of S. torvum protoplasts. One week prior to shoot regeneration, ten individual calluses had a unique light-green background and were verified as cell hybrids by the presence of the dimer isozyme patterns for phosphoglucoisomerase (PGI) and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT). Hybridity was also confirmed at the plant stage by DNA-DNA hybridization to a pea 45S ribosomal RNA gene probe. The ten somatic hybrid plants were established in the greenhouse and exhibited intermediate morphological characteristics such as leaf size and shape, flower size, shape, color and plant stature. Their chromosome number ranged from 46–48 (expected 2n=4x=48) and pollen viability was 5%–70%. In vitro shoots taken from the ten hybrid plants exhibited resistance to a verticillium wilt extract. Total DNA from the ten hybrids was restricted and hybridized with a 5.9 kb Oenothera chloroplast cytochrome f gene probe, a 2.4 kb EcoRI clone encoding mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit II from maize and a 22.1 kb Sal I mitochondrial clone from Nicotiana sylvestris. Southern blot hybridization patterns showed that eight of ten somatic hybrids contained the eggplant cpDNA, while two plants contained the cpDNA hybridization patterns of both parents. The mtDNA analysis revealed the presence of novel bands, loss of some specific parental bands and mixture of specific bands from both parents in the restriction hybridization profiles of the hybrids.

Plant regeneration from apple seedling explants and callus cultures

Leaf, cotyledon, and hypocotyl explants were obtained from 3-week-old seedlings of open-pollinated ‘Golden Delicious’ (Malus domestica bork H.) grown in vitro. They were placed on modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing B5 vitamins, sucrose and agar, supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and maintained at 25°C±2 in the light or in the dark to assess morphogenetic responses. Leaf and cotyledon explants cultured in the dark for an initial 3 weeks, then transferred to light for 4 weeks, produced 5- to 20-fold more adventitious shoots than those cultured for 7 weeks in the light. Conversely, light did not significantly influence the number of adventitious shoots formed on hypocotyl explants. Five-minute daily exposures of leaf explants to red light (651 nm) suppressed adventitious shoot formation by 80%; five-minute exposure to far-red light (729 nm) immediately following the red light counteracted the red suppression.Seedling explants, immature fruit halves and immature embryos were also cultured on Schenk and Hildebrandt (SH) medium containing 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D), p-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (CPA) and kinetin. Light inhibited callus formation on leaf and cotyledon explants, but not on hypocotyl explants. The derived callus was placed on MS + BAP or MS + BAP + NAA for shoot regeneration. Both shoots and roots regenerated from callus placed in the dark but not in the light; the frequency of shoot regeneration was 5% or less.Regenerated shoots were rooted on MS macronutrient salts (1/3 concentration), micronutrients, i-inositol, thiamine HCl, sucrose and agar with or without indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), or NAA under a light intensity of 5.0 W.m-2 (16 h per day). Auxin concentration strongly influenced root morphology.

Development of an improved procedure for extraction and quantitation of safranal in stigmas of Crocus sativus L. using high performance liquid chromatography

Abstract A number of methods for the preparation, extraction and HPLC analysis of saffron spice were evaluated to determine a reliable method for quantifying safranal in Crocus sativus L. stigma tissues. In vials containing ethanol/water stigma extracts, the concentration of safranal increased significantly over a 6 h time interval. In contrast, vials containing 100% acetonitrile stigma extracts showed no significant increase in safranal concentration over the same time interval. Preparation methods such as heating stigmas at 80°C for 30 min prior to extraction and followed by immediate HPLC analysis increased the concentration of safranal several-fold compared to stigmas which had been prepared by freeze-drying. Preparation of ethanol–water or acetonitrile stigma extracts by drying with a rotary evaporator prior to HPLC analysis eliminated safranal from the extracts.

Morphological and molecular characterization of somatic hybrid plants between Lycopersicon esculentum and Solanum nigrum

SummaryMesophyll protoplasts of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. var. cerasiforme) and of an atrazine-resistant biotype of black nightshade, (Solanum nigrum L.), were fused by using polyethylene glycol/dimethyl sulfoxide (PEG/DMSO) solution and three somatic hybrid plants, each derived from a separate callus, were recovered. A twostep selection system was used: (1) protoplast culture medium (modified 8E) in which only tomato protoplasts formed calluses; and (2) regeneration medium (MS2Z) on which only S. nigrum calluses produced shoots. These selective steps were augmented by early isozyme analysis of putative hybrid shoots still in vitro. Phosphoglucoisomerase (PGI) and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) mapped to five loci on four chromosomes in tomato confirmed the hybrid nature of the nuclei of regenerated shoots. The somatic hybrid plants had simple leaves, and intermediate flower and bud morphology, but anthesis was reduced to 5% due to premature bud abscission and the pollen grains were non-viable. Southern DNA blot hybridization using a pea 45 S ribosomal RNA gene probe reconfirmed the hybrid nature of the nuclear genome of the three plants. A 32P-labeled probe of Oenothera chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) hybridized to cpDNA restricted with EcoRI or EcoRV indicated the presence of the tomato cpDNA pattern in all three hybrids. Likewise, the plants were all found to be atrazine sensitive. Analysis with two mitochondrial (mt)DNA-specific probes, maize cytochrome oxidase subunit II and PmtSylSa8 from Nicotiana sylvestris, showed that, in addition to typical mitochondrial rearrangements, specific bands of both parents were present or missing in each somatic hybrid plant.