Use of a tomato mutant constructed with reverse genetics to study fruit ripening, a complex developmental process.

Fruit ripening is one of the most dramatic developmental transitions associated with extensive alteration in gene expression. The plant hormone ethylene is considered to be the causative ripening agent. Transgenic tomato plants were constructed expressing antisense or sense RNA to the key enzyme in the ethylene (C2H4) biosynthetic pathway, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase using the constitutive CaMV 35S and fruit specific E8 promoters. Fruits expressing antisense LE-ACS2 RNA produce less ethylene and fail to ripen only when ethylene production is suppressed by more than 99% (> 0.1 nl/g fresh weight). Ethylene production is considerably inhibited (50%) in fruits expressing sense LE-ACS2 RNA. Antisense fruits accumulate normal levels of polygalacturonase (PG), ACC oxidase (pTOM13), E8, E17, J49, and phytoene desaturase (D2) mRNAs which were previously thought to be ethylene-inducible. E4 gene expression is inhibited in antisense fruits and its expression is not restored by treatment with exogenous propylene (C3H6). Antisense fruits accumulate PG mRNA, but it is not translated. Immunoblotting experiments indicate that the PG protein is not expressed in antisense fruits but its accumulation is restored by propylene (C3H6) treatment. The results suggest that at least two signal-transduction pathways are operating during tomato fruit ripening. The independent (developmental) pathway is responsible for the transcriptional activation of genes such as PG, ACC oxidase, E8, E17, D2, and J49. The ethylene-dependent pathway is responsible for the transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of genes involved in lycopene, aroma biosynthesis, and the translatability of developmentally regulated genes such as PG.

In situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry for improved assessment of human immunodeficiency virus cultures.

The authors characterized the early intracellular events involved in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication after in vitro inoculation into cultures of susceptible human T-cell lines and phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PMCs). Within 24 hours of infection, in situ hybridization with HIV DNA probe detected cytoplasmic viral RNA. Viral core antigen was detected in infected cells over the subsequent two to ten days by means of an immunocytochemical assay employing monoclonal antibodies. Several days later, cell-free virus was detected by both reverse transcriptase assay and a p25gag antigen-capture assay. When these methods were applied to monitor cultures of ten sero-positive persons' PMCs, a similar progression of virus replication was apparent: cytoplasmic viral RNA was detected in infected PMCs by day 3, with the subsequent appearance of intracellular viral proteins (days 6-9) and cell-free virus (days 12-21). In situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry offer complementary, sensitive, and specific approaches for monitoring the early stages of acquired immune deficiency syndrome virus replication in vitro.