ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter는 다양한 기질을 세포 밖과 세포 안으로 수송하는 대표적인 수송단백질이다. 곤충에서 ABC transporter는 살충제에 대한 저항성을 발달시키는 중요한 역할을 한다. 현재까지 모델곤충인 초파리를 대상으로 ABC transporter의 살충제 교차저항성에 관한 연구는 많이 수행되어오지 않았다. 본 연구에서는 ABC transporter에 속하는 Mdr49A 유전자가 여섯 종류의 살충제에 보이는 교차저항성 기작을 형질전환 초파리를 이용하여 구명하였다. 초파리 91-R과 91-C 계통은 공통된 조상으로부터 유래되었으며 91-R은 60년 이상 DDT에 노출되었지만 91-C는 어떠한 살충제에도 노출되지 않고 유지되어 왔다. 91-R 계통의 MDR49A 단백질에서 유래된 3개의 아미노산 돌연변이를 형질전환 초파리에 과발현 시켰을 때 carbofuran에 대해서 2.0~6.7배 그리고 permethrin에 대해서 2.5~10.5배의 교차저항성을 나타 낸 반면 다른 약제, abamectin, imidacloprid, methoxychlor, prothiofos에 대해서는 어떠한 교차저항성도 나타내지 않았다. 이상의 결과는 Mdr49A 유전자의 과발현과 더불어 3개의 아미노산 돌연변이는 두 개 약제, carbofuran과 permethrin에 대해 교차저항성 기능을 한다고 제시하고 있다

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) proteins comprise a large superfamily and play as key in the physiology and development of plants but it is highly likely that more functions for members of this interesting family are still in dark. Thus systematic analysis for this family will be helpful to design effective experimental plans for functional analysis of each of ABC family in rice. To do this, we performed phylogenomic analysis of integrating anatomy and stress meta-profiling data based on a large collection of rice affymetrix array data which provide useful clues to study functions of ABC transporter family in rice in term of anatomy and stress response. Then, we processed Significance analysis for Microarray to identify ABC transporters involved in water stress such as drought and salt. Subsequently, we identified 23 genes showing significant upregulation or downregulation by both drought and salt. Finally, we developed the interaction network mediated by six of them and then integrated diverse data such as co-expression patterns, putative functions and sub-cellular localization to the network and the network was further refined based on coexpression patterns in response to drought and salt stresses. Our analysis will provide molecular basis to study diverse biological phenomena mediated by ABC family in rice, a major model crop plant.

A cDNA clone encoding a MDR-like ABC transporter protein was isolated from Brassica rapa seedlings, through rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). This gene (named as Brmdr 1; GenBank accession no.: DQ296184 ) had a total length of 4222 bp with an open reading frame of 3900 bp, and encoded a predicted polypeptide of 1300 amino acids with a molecular weight of 143.1 kDa. The BrMDR1 protein shared 71.0, 62.5, 60.0 and 58.2% identity with other MDR proteins isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana (AAN28720), Coptis japonica (CjMDR), Gossypium hirsutum (GhMDR) and Triticum aestivum (TaMDR) at amino acid level, respectively. Southern blot analysis showed that Brmdr1 was a low-copy gene. Expression pattern analysis revealed that Brmdr1 constitutively expressed in the root, stem petals and stamens, but with lower expression in leaves and open flowers. The domains analysis showed that BrMDR1 protein possessed two transmembrane domains (TMDs) and two nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) arranging in "TMD1-NBD1-TMD2-NBD2" direction, which is consistent with other MDR transporters. Within NBDs three characteristic motifs common to all ABC transporters, "Walker A", "Walker B" and C motif, were found. These results indicate that BrMDR1 is a MDR-like ABC transporter protein that may be involved in the transport and accumulation of secondary metabolites.