A sugar beet chlorophyll a/b binding protein promoter void of G-box like elements confers strong and leaf specific reporter gene expression in transgenic sugar beet

BACKGROUND: Modification of leaf traits in sugar beet requires a strong leaf specific promoter. With such a promoter, expression in taproots can be avoided which may otherwise take away available energy resources for sugar accumulation. RESULTS: Suppression Subtractive Hybridization (SSH) was utilized to generate an enriched and equalized cDNA library for leaf expressed genes from sugar beet. Fourteen cDNA fragments corresponding to thirteen different genes were isolated. Northern blot analysis indicates the desired tissue specificity of these genes. The promoters for two chlorophyll a/b binding protein genes (Bvcab11 and Bvcab12) were isolated, linked to reporter genes, and transformed into sugar beet using promoter reporter gene fusions. Transient and transgenic analysis indicate that both promoters direct leaf specific gene expression. A bioinformatic analysis revealed that the Bvcab11 promoter is void of G-box like regulatory elements with a palindromic ACGT core sequence. The data indicate that the presence of a G-box element is not a prerequisite for leaf specific and light induced gene expression in sugar beet. CONCLUSIONS: This work shows that SSH can be successfully employed for the identification and subsequent isolation of tissue specific sugar beet promoters. These promoters are shown to drive strong leaf specific gene expression in transgenic sugar beet. The application of these promoters for expressing resistance improving genes against foliar diseases is discussed

AthaMap web tools for the analysis and identification of co-regulated genes

The AthaMap database generates a map of cis-regulatory elements for the whole Arabidopsis thaliana genome. This database has been extended by new tools to identify common cis-regulatory elements in specific regions of user-provided gene sets. A resulting table displays all cis-regulatory elements annotated in AthaMap including positional information relative to the respective gene. Further tables show overviews with the number of individual transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) present and TFBS common to the whole set of genes. Over represented cis-elements are easily identified. These features were used to detect specific enrichment of drought-responsive elements in cold-induced genes. For identification of co-regulated genes, the output table of the colocalization function was extended to show the closest genes and their relative distances to the colocalizing TFBS. Gene sets determined by this function can be used for a co-regulation analysis in microarray gene expression databases such as Genevestigator or PathoPlant. Additional improvements of AthaMap include display of the gene structure in the sequence window and a significant data increase. AthaMap is freely available at

Alternative splicing of the maize Ac transposase transcript in transgenic sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.)

The maize Activator/Dissociation (Ac/Ds) transposable element system was introduced into sugar beet. The autonomous Ac and non-autonomous Ds element excise from the T-DNA vector and integrate at novel positions in the sugar beet genome. Ac and Ds excisions generate footprints in the donor T-DNA that support the hairpin model for transposon excision. Two complete integration events into genomic sugar beet DNA were obtained by IPCR. Integration of Ac leads to an eight bp duplication, while integration of Ds in a homologue of a sugar beet flowering locus gene did not induce a duplication. The molecular structure of the target site indicates Ds integration into a double strand break. Analyses of transposase transcription using RT–PCR revealed low amounts of alternatively spliced mRNAs. The fourth intron of the transposase was found to be partially misspliced. Four different splice products were identified. In addition, the second and third exon were found to harbour two and three novel introns, respectively. These utilize each the same splice donor but several alternative splice acceptor sites. Using the SplicePredictor online tool, one of the two introns within exon two is predicted to be efficiently spliced in maize. Most interestingly, splicing of this intron together with the four major introns of Ac would generate a transposase that lacks the DNA binding domain and two of its three nuclear localization signals, but still harbours the dimerization domain

Multiple alleles for resistance and susceptibility modulate the defense response in the interaction of tetraploid potato (Solanum tuberosum) with Synchytrium endobioticum pathotypes 1, 2, 6 and 18

The obligate biotrophic, soil-borne fungus Synchytrium endobioticum causes wart disease of potato (Solanum tuberosum), which is a serious problem for crop production in countries with moderate climates. S. endobioticum induces hypertrophic cell divisions in plant host tissues leading to the formation of tumor-like structures. Potato wart is a quarantine disease and chemical control is not possible. From 38 S. endobioticum pathotypes occurring in Europe, pathotypes 1, 2, 6 and 18 are the most relevant. Genetic resistance to wart is available but only few current potato varieties are resistant to all four pathotypes. The phenotypic evaluation of wart resistance is laborious, time-consuming and sometimes ambiguous, which makes breeding for resistance difficult. Molecular markers diagnostic for genes for resistance to S. endobioticum pathotypes 1, 2, 6 and 18 would greatly facilitate the selection of new, resistant cultivars. Two tetraploid half-sib families (266 individuals) segregating for resistance to S. endobioticum pathotypes 1, 2, 6 and 18 were produced by crossing a resistant genotype with two different susceptible ones. The families were scored for five different wart resistance phenotypes. The distribution of mean resistance scores was quantitative in both families. Resistance to pathotypes 2, 6 and 18 was correlated and independent from resistance to pathotype 1. DNA pools were constructed from the most resistant and most susceptible individuals and screened with genome wide simple sequence repeat (SSR), inverted simple sequence region (ISSR) and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Bulked segregant analysis identified three SSR markers that were linked to wart resistance loci (Sen). Sen1-XI on chromosome XI conferred partial resistance to pathotype 1, Sen18-IX on chromosome IX to pathotype 18 and Sen2/6/18-I on chromosome I to pathotypes 2,6 and 18. Additional genotyping with 191 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers confirmed the localization of the Sen loci. Thirty-three SNP markers linked to the Sen loci permitted the dissection of Sen alleles that increased or decreased resistance to wart. The alleles were inherited from both the resistant and susceptible parents

The return of the wolves: From conflict to coexistence:

Wölfe sind soziale Tiere, die in einem Familienverband und einem relativ fest umgrenzten Territorium leben. Sie wurden aufgrund von Schäden, die sie in der Landwirtschaft anrichten, in den vergangenen Jahrhunderten in weiten Teilen Europas ausgerottet. Heutzutage wird der Wolf in seinem Ökosystem als wichtiger Teil einer naturnahen Landschaft gesehen. Deshalb ist der Wolf nach Berner Konvention, FaunaFloraHabitatRichtlinie und nach Bundesnaturschutzgesetz streng geschützt, was seine Rückkehr begünstigt hat. Zwischen den Jahren 2000 und 2022 wurden in Deutschland 161 Wolfsterritorien besetzt und es ist abzusehen, dass es Raum für über 700 Territorien gibt. Mit der Zunahme der Wolfsbestände erhöhen sich die Konfikte mit der Landwirtschaft durch Nutztierrisse und die Nahbegegnungen mit Menschen. Deshalb werden Maßnahmen zum Herdenschutz je nach Wolfsmanagementplan der Bundesländer fnanziell unterstützt, und es können Schäden an Nutztieren bei Einhaltung von Herdenschutzmaßnahmen fnanziell kompensiert werden. Problematische Tiere, die ihre Scheu vor Menschen verloren haben, sowie schadenstiftende Wölfe können gemäß der gesetzlichen Vorgaben getötet werden. Wie in Zukunft Mensch und Wolf koexistieren, ist Teil der aktuellen Diskussion.Wolves are social animals that live in a family unit and a relatively clearly defned territory. They were eradicated from large parts of Europe in recent centuries due to the damage they cause to agriculture. Nowadays, the wolf is seen as an important part of a nearnatural landscape in its ecosystem. Therefore, the wolf is strictly protected according to the Bern Convention, the FaunaFlora Habitat Directive and the Federal Nature Conservation Act, which has favoured its return. Between the years 2000 and 2022, 161 wolf territories were occupied in Germany and it is likely that there is room for more than 700 territories. With the increase in wolf populations, conficts with agriculture grow due to livestock depredation and close encounters with humans. Therefore, depending on the wolf management plan of the federal states, measures for herd protection are fnancially supported and damages to farm animals can be fnancially compensated if herd protection measures are followed. Problematic animals that have lost their shyness towards humans as well as wolves that cause damage can be killed according to the legal requirements. How humans and wolves will coexist in the future, is part of the current discussion