A tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) zeaxanthin epoxidase gene (LeZE) was isolated and antisense transgenic tomato plants were produced. Northern, southern, and western blot analyses demonstrated that antisense LeZE was transferred into the tomato genome and the expression of LeZE was inhibited. The ratio of (A+Z)/(V+A+Z) in antisense transgenic plants was maintained at a higher level than in the wild type (WT) plants under high light and chilling stress with low irradiance. The value of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) in WT and transgenic plants was not affected during the stresses. The oxidizable P700 and the maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII (F v /F m ) in transgenic plants decreased more slowly at chilling temperature under low irradiance. These results suggested that suppression of LeZE caused zeaxanthin accumulation, which was helpful in alleviating photoinhibition of PSI and PSII in tomato plants under chilling stress.

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This study investigated the mechanisms controlling hair follicle development in the Rex rabbit. The Agilent rabbit gene expression microarray was used to determine differentially expressed genes in Rex rabbit foetuses with different wool densities. The expression patterns of selected differentially-expressed genes were further investigated by quantitative real-time PCR. Compared to low wool density rabbits, 1342 differentially expressed probes were identified in high wool density rabbits, including 950 upregulated probes and 392 downregulated probes. Gene ontology analysis revealed that the most upregulated differentially expressed probes belonged to receptors and the most downregulated differentially expressed probes belonged to DNA binding molecules. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed that the differentially expressed probes were mainly involved in the sonic hedgehog (Shh) and Eph signalling pathways. The results also suggest that transforming growth factor-beta 1, growth hormone receptor, and the keratin-associated protein 6.1 genes, as well as the Shh and Eph signalling pathways, may be involved in the regulation of hair follicle developmental in Rex rabbits.

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We studied how the reductions of trienoic fatty acids (TAs) and increases of dienoic fatty acids (DAs) enhanced hightemperature tolerance in antisense expression of tomato chloroplast omega-3 fatty acid desaturase gene (LeFAD7) transgenic tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants. In transgenic plants, the content of linolenic acid (18:3) was markedly decreased, while linoleic acid (18:2) was increased correspondingly and the similar changes were observed under high-temperature stress as well. Under high-temperature stress, transgenic plants can maintain a relatively higher level of net photosynthetic rate (P N ) and chlorophyll (Chl) content than that of wild type (WT) plants. A decreased Chl/Carotenoids (xanthophylls and carotenes, Car) ratio and Chl a/b ratio were observed in transgenic plants. Transgenic plants exhibited visible decrease in the relative electrolyte conductivity, higher activities of antioxidative enzymes and lower reactive oxygen species correspondingly than WT. In addition, high-temperature stress for 24 h caused more extensive changes of chloroplast ultrastructure in WT than in transgenic plants. We therefore suggested that the enhancement of high-temperature tolerance in antisense expression of LeFAD7 transgenic plants might be raised from the reduction of TAs and increase of DAs subsequently leading to series of physiological alterations.Additional keywords: high-temperature tolerance; chloroplast omega-3 fatty acid desaturase; Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.; trienoic fatty acids.