本实验室主要兴趣在于：
植物超长链脂肪酸合成途径的研究。
超长链脂肪酸调控植物细胞伸长的分子机制研究。
脂肪酸是指一端含有一个羧基的长的脂肪族碳氢链,在生物体内大部分脂肪酸都以脂质形式存在。超长链脂肪酸是指碳骨架长度超过20个碳原子的脂肪酸，在植物体内这类脂肪酸主要集中于细胞膜鞘脂及植物表面蜡质中，其生物学作用不很清楚。
实验室近几年来以陆地棉和无长绒无短绒突变体为实验材料，通过构建大规模棉花转录组基因芯片，分离、鉴定和研究棉花纤维伸长相关基因。其中，超长链脂肪酸（VLCFA）合成途径是被鉴定为一条重要的在纤维发育期显著上调的代谢途径，我们克隆并鉴定编码3-酮脂酰-CoA合酶、3-酮脂酰-CoA还原酶及烯酰-CoA还原酶的棉花cDNA。为验证其生物学功能，将它们互补相对应的酵母突变体中，并使用气相色谱质谱联用仪对互补棉花基因的酵母突变体中的脂肪酸进行定性和定量分析。我们最新的研究发现VLCFA通过激活乙烯合成途径不仅能够促进棉纤维伸长发育，而且还能促进拟南芥茎细胞伸长。这是关于VLCFA可能作为植物信号分子的首次报道，对于VLCFA如何调控植物发育的进一步研究具有重要意义。
Research Description:
We have two major lines for our research: understanding the reaction mechanism of biosynthesis of very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFA) and VLCFAs modulating cotton fiber cell elongation.
Very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs, >C20) are wildly distributed in nature, and they are found mainly in membrane sphingolipids, epi-cuticular waxes, seed storage triacylglcerols of most plant species. VLCFAs are synthesized by the microsomal fatty acid elongation system, which consists of four sequential reactions. Through microarray transcriptome profiling of cotton fiber UniESTs, we identified cDNAs encoding enzymes involved in VLCFA biosynthesis that were preferentially expressed during the fast fiber elongating period. The cotton cDNAs encoding 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (KCS), 3-ketoacyl-CoA reductase and trans-2-enoyl-CoA reducatse, were cloned, and functionally characterized by heterologous expressing in yeast mutants. With regarding to the function of VLCFAs in cotton cells, we reported that many VLCFA biosynthetic genes are up-regulated during early cotton fiber development. Further, we recently found that saturated VLCFAs promote cotton fiber and Arabidopsis cell elongation by activating ethylene biosynthesis gene ACOs, providing an important link between the VLCFA biosynthesis and cotton fiber elongation
代表性论文
1. Wang H, Mei W, Qin Y* and Zhu Y , 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase 2 is phosphorylated by calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 during cotton fiber elongation. , Acta Biochim Biophys Sin , 2011 , 43: 654-661
2. Qin YM, Zhu YX , How cotton fibers elongate: a tale of linear cell-growth mode , Curr Opin Plant Biol , 2011 , 14: 106-111
3. Pang CY, Wang H, Pang Y, Xu C, Jiao Y, Qin YM, Western TL, Yu SX, Zhu YX , Comparative proteomics indicates that biosynthesis of pectic precursors is important for cotton fiber and Arabidopsis root hair elongation. , Mol Cell Proteomics , 2010 , 9: 2019-2033
4. Pang Y, Song WQ, Chen FY, Qin YM* , A new cotton SDR family gene encodes a polypeptide possessing aldehyde reductase and 3-ketoacyl-CoA reductase activities. , Biochemistry (Mosc). , 2010 , 75: 320-326.
5. Mei WQ, Qin YM*, Song WQ, Li J, Zhu YX , Cotton GhPOX1 encoding plant class III peroxidase may be responsible for the high level of reactive oxygen species production that is related to cotton fiber elongation , J Genet Genomics , 2009 , 36: 141-150. ,
6. Song WQ, Qin YM*, Saito M, Shirai T, Pujol FM, Kastaniotis AJ, Hiltunen JK, Zhu YX , Characterization of two cotton cDNAs encoding trans-2-enoyl-CoA reductase reveals a putative novel NADPH binding motif , J Exp Bot , 2009 , 60: 1839-1848
7. He XC, Qin YM*, Xu Y, Hu CY, Zhu YX , Molecular cloning, expression profiling and yeast complementation of nineteen beta-tubulin cDNAs from developing cotton ovules , J Exp Bot , 2008 , 59: 2687-2695
8. Li HB, Qin YM*, Pang Y, Song WQ, Mei WQ, and Zhu YX , A cotton ascorbate peroxidase is involved in hydrogen peroxide homeostasis during fibre cell development , New Phytologist , 2007 , 175: 462-471 ,
9. Qin YM , Hu CY, Pang Y, Kastaniotis AJ, Hiltunen JK and Zhu YX , Saturated very-long-chain fatty acids promote cotton fiber and Arabidopsis cell elongation by activating ethylene biosynthesis , Plant Cell , 2007 , 19: 3692-3704
10. Qin YM and Zhu YX , A brief summary of major advances in cotton functional genomics and molecular breeding studies in China , Chin Sci Bull , 2007 , 52, 3174-3178 , Review
11. Qin YM*, Pujol FM, Hu CY, Feng JX, Kastaniotis AJ, Hiltunen JK, and Zhu YX , Genetic and biochemical studies in yeast reveal that the cotton fibre-specific GhCER6 gene functions in fatty acid elongation , J Exp Bot, , 2007 , 58: 473-481
12. Shi, Y.H., Zhu, S.W., Mao, X.Z., Feng, J.X., Qin, Y.M., Zhang, L., Cheng, J., Wei. L.P., Wang, Z.Y., and Zhu, Y.X , Transcriptome profiling, molecular biological, and physiological studies reveal a major role for ethylene in cotton fiber cell elongation , Plant Cell , 2006 , 18, 651-664
13. Qin YM, Pujol FA, Shi YH, Feng JX, Liu YM, Kastaniotis AJ, Hiltunen JK and Zhu YX , Cloning and functional characterization of two cDNAs encoding NADPH-dependent 3-ketoacyl-CoA reductases from developing cotton fibers , Cell Research , 2005 , 15: 465-473.
14. Qin YM, Haapalainen AM, Kilpelainen SH, Marttila MS, Koski MK, Glumoff T, Novikov DK, and Glumoff T , Human peroxisomal multifunctional enzyme type 2. Site-directed mutagenesis studies show the importance of two protic residues for 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase 2 activity , J Biol Chem, , 2000 , 275: 4965-4972
15. Qin YM, Poutanen MH, and Novikov DK , Substrate specificities of peroxisomal members of short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase superfamily: expression and characterization of dehydrogenase part of Candida tropicalis multifunctional enzyme , J Lipid Res. , 2000 , 41: 93-98
16. Qin YM, Marttila MS, Haapalainen AM, Siivari KM, Glumoff T, and Hiltunen JK , Yeast peroxisomal multifunctional enzyme: (3R)-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase domains A and B are required for optimal growth on oleic acid , J Biol Chem, , 1999 , 274: 28619-28625.
17. Qin YM, Haapalainen AM, Conry D, Cuebas DA, Hiltunen JK, and Novikov DK , Recombinant 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase derived from rat peroxisomal multifunctional enzyme 2: role of the hydratase reaction in bile acid synthesis , Biochem J, , 1997 , 328: 377-382. |
