1. 從茄科植物龍葵(Solanum americanum)中克隆分析了蛋白酶抑制劑II (PIN2) 基因家族的兩個成員SaPIN2a 和 SaPIN2b,研究了這兩個基因的差異表達調控機理及其在植物生長發育方面的生理功能 (Xu et al. 2001; Liu et al. 2006)。發現兩者雖然都在花中組成型表達並在葉中受創傷誘導,但SaPIN2a 在韌皮部中特異表達(Xu et al. 2001),而SaPIN2b則在腺毛中特異表達(Liu et al. 2006)。SaPIN2a參與調控韌皮部篩管分子細胞的分化發育,在轉基因植物中超量表達SaPIN2a會導致成熟的篩管分子細胞中出現類似葉綠體的細胞器(Xie et al. 2007)。SaPIN2b啟動子含有與腺毛分化發育密切相關的順式作用元件,SaPIN2b的超量表達會顯著增加葉片腺毛密度並促進腺毛產生分枝,很可能參與調控腺毛的分化發育(Liu et al. 2006)。
2. 從龍葵的莖中分離純化得到了天然SaPIN2a蛋白,N端測序分析表明天然SaPIN2a是由其前體蛋白切除27個胺基酸的信號肽後形成的,被微弱的糖基化,以二聚體形式存在,並且有3種電荷異構體(Wang et al., 2007)。天然SaPIN2a能抑制牛胰蛋白酶、牛胰凝乳蛋白酶和枯草桿菌蛋白酶,也能抑制斜紋夜蛾(Spodoptera litura)和粉紋夜蛾(Trichoplusia ni)幼蟲的中腸類胰蛋白酶活性。在大腸桿菌中重組表達的成熟SaPIN2a 對牛胰凝乳蛋白酶的抑制活性與天然SaPIN2a相比相差不大,但對於牛胰蛋白酶和枯草桿菌蛋白酶的抑制作用顯著降低(Wang et al., 2007)。
3. 發現在轉基因植物(生菜)中表達外源蛋白酶抑制劑SaPIN2a能夠顯著降低植物細胞中的內源蛋白酶活性,從而可保護在轉基因植物中生產的重組蛋白(Xu et al. 2004)。
4. 將 SaPIN2a 在轉基因生菜中超量表達,可增強了對粉紋夜蛾的抗性(Chye et al., 2006)。
5. 發現一個與程式化細胞死亡有關的茄子半胱氨酸蛋白酶基因 ( SmCP ) 啟動子中含有的 G-盒、乙烯反應元件和傍晚元件等順式作用元件,其表達受生物鐘控制並且可被植物激素乙烯所誘導(Xu et al. 2003; Rawat et al. 2005)。
2001年以來發表的論文 (* 通訊作者):
1. Ding L-W., Sun Q-Y., Wang Z-Y., Sun Y-B., Xu Z-F. *, (2008), Using silica particles to isolate total RNA from plant tissues recalcitrant to extraction in guanidine thiocyanate. Analytical Biochemistry 374(2): 426-428. [Full text PDF]
2. Miao, Y., Yang, M., Li, K.Y., Suen, P.K., Shao, J., Xu, Z.F., and Jiang, L. (2007). Molecular Characterization of Plant Vacuolar Sorting Receptor (VSR) Proteins. Functional Plant Science and Biotechnology 1(2), 254-260. [Full text PDF ]
3. 王兆玉、林敬明、徐增富*. 2007. 對藥用及能源植物Jatropha curcas L.的中文名稱的建議. 南方醫科大學學報 27(12): 1937-1938. (Full text PDF )
4. 王兆玉、林敬明、徐增富*. 2007. 小油桐生物活性成分與藥用價值研究進展. 中藥材 30(10): 1332-1336. (Full text PDF )
5. 王兆玉、林敬明、徐增富*. 2007. 藥用及能源植物小油桐的非試管快繁技術研究. 南方醫科大學學報 27(8): 1285-1286. (Full text PDF )
6. Xie, J., Ouyang, X.Z., Xia, K.F., Huang, Y.F., Pan, W.B., Cai, Y.P., Xu, X., Li, B., and Xu, Z.F*. (2007). Chloroplast-like organelles were found in enucleate sieve elements of transgenic plants overexpressing a proteinase inhibitor. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry 71 (11), 2759–2765. [Full text PDF]
7. Wang, Z.Y., Ding, L.W., Ge, Z.J., Wang, Z., Wang, F., Li, N., and Xu, Z.F.* (2007). Purification and characterization of native and recombinant SaPIN2a, a plant sieve element-localized proteinase inhibitor. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 45(10-11), 757-766. [Full text PDF].
8. Lao Y, Zhang X, Zhou J, Wang Y, Chen R, Su W*, Zhou W, and Xu, Z.F.* (2007). Characterization and in vitro mineralization function of a soluble protein complex P60 from the nacre of Pinctada fucata. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology B 148, 201-208. [Full text PDF]
9. Liu, J., Xia, K.F., Zhu, J.C., Deng, Y.G., Huang, X.L., Hu, B.L., Xu, X., and Xu, Z.F.* (2006). The nightshade proteinase inhibitor IIb gene is constitutively expressed in glandular trichomes. Plant & Cell Physiology 47, 1274-1284. [Full text PDF]
10. Wei, J.Y., Li, A.M., Li, Y., Wang, J., Liu, X.B., Liu, L.S., and Xu, Z.F.* (2006). Cloning and characterization of an RNase-related protein gene preferentially expressed in rice stems. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry 70, 1041-1045. [Full text PDF]
11. Chye, M.L., Sin, S.F., Xu, Z.F., and Yeung, E.C. (2006). Serine proteinase inhibitor proteins: Exogenous and endogenous functions. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology-Plant 42, 100-108. [Full text PDF]
12. Rawat, R., Xu, Z.F., Yao, K.M., and Chye, M.L. (2005). Identification of cis-elements for ethylene and circadian regulation of the Solanum melongena gene encoding cysteine proteinase. Plant Molecular Biology 57, 629-643.[Full text PDF]
13. Xu, Z.F., Teng, W.L., and Chye, M.L. (2004). Inhibition of endogenous trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like activities in transgenic lettuce expressing heterogeneous proteinase inhibitor SaPIN2a. Planta 218, 623-629. [Full text PDF]
14. Xu, Z.F., Chye, M.L., Li, H.Y., Xu, F.X., and Yao, K.M. (2003). G-box binding coincides with increased Solanum melongena cysteine proteinase expression in senescent fruits and circadian-regulated leaves. Plant Molecular Biology 51, 9-19. [Full text PDF]
15. Yu, R.M., Zhou, Y., Xu, Z.F., Chye, M.L., and Kong, R.Y. (2003). Two genes encoding protein phosphatase 2A catalytic subunits are differentially expressed in rice. Plant Molecular Biology 51, 295-311. [Full text PDF ]
16. Wong, W.S., Li, G.G., Ning, W., Xu, Z.F., Hsiao, W.L.W., Zhang, L.Y., and Li, N. (2001). Repression of chilling-induced ACC accumulation in transgenic citrus by over-production of antisense 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase RNA. Plant Science 161, 969-977. [Full text PDF ]
17. Xu, Z.F., Qi, W.Q., Ouyang, X.Z., Yeung, E., and Chye, M.L. (2001). A proteinase inhibitor II of Solanum americanum is expressed in phloem. Plant Molecular Biology 47, 727-738. [Full text PDF]
2. Chye, Mee Len; Xu, Zeng-Fu; Sin, Suk-Fong. Genetically modified plants expressing proteinase inhibitors, SaPIN2a or SaPIN2b, and methods of use thereof for the inhibition of trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like activities. United States Patent 7256327, August 14, 2007 (美國專利,已獲授權)