Somatic cell nuclear transfer (cloning): implications for the medical practitioner.

The current century will bring tremendous changes to the science and the practice of medicine. This century will be acknowledged as the century of Biology as the fusion of molecular genetics and experimental embryology pushes the barriers of science beyond perimeters that we have thought existed, as much as the past century was the century of Physics, with all the exact scientific calculations and predictions, resulting in electricity, nuclear power and quantum physics. The first major breakthrough has been the pioneering work of Wilmut and Campbell, first with the birth of Megan and Moran in 1995 (1), followed by the birth of Dolly the sheep, the first reported mammalian clone from a fully differentiated adult cell, reported in July 1996 (2). However, current cloning techniques are an extension of over 40 years of research using nuclei derived from non-human embryonic and fetal cells. However, following the birth of Dolly, the prospects of cloning technology have extended to ethically hazier areas of human cloning and embryonic stem cell research. This review hopes to bring the reader closer to the science and the ethics of this new technology, and what the implications are for the medical practitioner.

Multiple mode regulation of a cysteine proteinase gene expression in rice.

In many plants, cysteine proteinases play essential roles in a variety of developmental and physiological processes. In rice (Oryza sativa), REP-1 is a primary cysteine proteinase responsible for the digestion of seed storage proteins to provide nutrients to support the growth of young seedlings. In the present study, the gene encoding REP-1 was isolated, characterized, and designated as OsEP3A. An OsEP3A-specific DNA probe was used to study the effect of various factors on the expression of OsEP3A in germinating seeds and vegetative tissues of rice. The expression of OsEP3A is hormonally regulated in germinating seeds, spatially and temporally regulated in vegetative tissues, and nitrogen-regulated in suspension-cultured cells. The OsEP3A promoter was linked to the coding sequence of the reporter gene, gusA, which encodes beta-glucuronidase (GUS), and the chimeric gene was introduced into the rice genome. The OsEP3A promoter is sufficient to confer nitrogen regulation of GUS expression in suspension-cultured cells. Histochemical studies also indicate that the OsEP3A promoter is sufficient to confer the hormonal regulation of GUS expression in germinating seeds. These studies demonstrate that in rice the REP-1 protease encoded by OsEP3A may play a role in various physiological responses and processes, and that multiple mechanisms regulate the expression of OsEP3A.

Carbohydrate starvation stimulates differential expression of rice alpha-amylase genes that is modulated through complicated transcriptional and posttranscriptional processes.

Expression of alpha-amylase genes in cultured rice suspension cells is induced by sucrose starvation. To study the mechanism of sugar metabolite regulation on the expression of individual alpha-amylase genes, DNA fragments specific to each of eight rice alpha-amylase genes were synthesized and used as gene-specific probes. Comparison of the relative abundance of mRNA revealed that expression of the eight alpha-amylase genes in rice cells was differentially regulated by sucrose starvation. Accumulation of all the alpha-amylase mRNAs increased in response to sucrose starvation; however, levels of the alphaAmy3 and alphaAmy8 mRNAs were distinctly higher and constituted 90% of total alpha-amylase mRNAs. RNA gel blot and nuclear run-on transcription analyses demonstrated a positive correlation between the increased transcription rates and the elevated steady-state levels of alpha-amylase mRNAs induced by sucrose starvation. The half-lives of alphaAmy3, alphaAmy7, and alphaAmy8 were prolonged by sucrose-starvation; however, the stability of the three mRNAs seems controlled by different mechanisms. The translation inhibitors cycloheximide and anisomycin preferentially blocked the sucrose-suppressed expression of alphaAmy3 but not that of alphaAmy7 and alphaAmy8. These inhibitors also enhanced the sucrose starvation-induced accumulation of alphaAmy3 mRNA but not that of alphaAmy7 or alphaAmy8 mRNAs. Cycloheximide did not significantly alter the transcription rates of alpha-amylase genes, suggesting that labile proteins may selectively stabilize the alphaAmy7 and alphaAmy8 mRNAs but destabilize the alphaAmy3 mRNA.

Agrobacterium-mediated production of transgenic rice plants expressing a chimeric alpha-amylase promoter/beta-glucuronidase gene.

We have successfully transferred and expressed a reporter gene driven by an alpha-amylase promoter in a japonica type of rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Tainung 62) using the Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer system. Immature rice embryos (10-12 days after anthesis) were infected with an Agrobacterium strain carrying a plasmid containing chimeric genes of beta-glucuronidase (uidA) and neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII). Co-incubation of potato suspension culture (PSC) with the Agrobacterium inoculum significantly improved the transformation efficiency of rice. The uidA and nptII genes, which are under the control of promoters of a rice alpha-amylase gene (alpha Amy8) and Agrobacterium nopaline synthase gene (nos), respectively, were both expressed in G418-resistant calli and transgenic plants. Integration of foreign genes into the genomes of transgenic plants was confirmed by Southern blot analysis. Histochemical localization of GUS activity in one transgenic plant (R0) revealed that the rice alpha-amylase promoter functions in all cell types of the mature leaves, stems, sheaths and roots, but not in the very young leaves. This transgenic plant grew more slowly and produced less seeds than the wild-type plant, but its R1 and R2 progenies grew normally and produced as much seeds as the wild-type plant. Inheritance of foreign genes to the progenies was also confirmed by Southern blot analysis. These data demonstrate successful gene transfer and sexual inheritance of the chimeric genes.

Absence of pfr destruction in the modulation of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase synthesis of mustard cotyledons.

The relationship between the amount of active phytochrome (Pfr) produced by 5-minute light pulses and the rate of subsequent enzyme accumulation (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, EC 4.3.1.5) of mustard (Sinapis alba L.) cotyledons was investigated. The response rapidly adjusts to changes of the Pfr level produced by light pulses of different wavelengths. Regardless of total phytochrome levels in the cotyledons, response adjustments to new photostationary states (phi(lambda)) are correlated with phi(alpha) values. On the other hand, the kinetics of enzyme accumulation shows no influence of Pfr destruction as determined spectrophotometrically (tau((1/2)) = 45 min) in the same organ (see Schäfer et al. 1973 Photochem Photobiol 18: 331-334). It is concluded that the phytochrome molecules involved in the regulation of this response by light pulses comprise a small fraction of the total phytochrome of the cotyledons. In contrast to bulk phytochrome this fraction appears to be not subject to Pfr destruction.

Phytochrome-mediated de novo synthesis of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase: An approach using pre-induced mustard seedlings.

The molecular mechanism of enzyme (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase; EC 4.3.1.5) formation mediated by phytochrome in mustard seedlings was investigated by labeling the enzyme with deuterium followed by high resolution CsCl density gradient analysis. A favorable relationship between induced rise of activity and turnover of this short-lived enzyme (half-life 3-4 hr) was achieved by labeling pre-irradiated seedlings. The time course of deuterium incorporation during the light-mediated rise in enzyme activity that can be derived independently from density shifts and bandwidth changes demonstrates a stimulation of synthesis and degradation by phytochrome. When synthesis is faster than degradation, enzyme accumulates.