用生物信息学方法寻找肝癌特异性表达基因转录调控模式

为了对肝癌(hepatocellularcarcinoma,HCC)的分子发病机理进行研究,首先对肝癌基因表达谱数据用t-检验算法进行了分析,找到了肝癌中特异性表达基因(characteristicgenes).然后把这些基因结合已知的肝HNF家族转录因子染色质免疫共沉淀结合DNA启动子芯片(ChIP-chip)实验数据用SAEM算法进行分析,得到了肝癌特异性表达基因的转录调控关系,并寻找到了多个HNF家族转录因子调控单基因的转录调控模式.结果表明HNF家族转录因子对大量具有重要功能的肝癌特异性表达基因进行了转录调控,并且多个HNF家族转录因子调控单基因可以形成前馈环和多输入调控等模式.     

肝细胞核因子在2型糖尿病发生中的作用研究新进展

肝细胞核因子(Hepatocyte nuclear factors,HNFs)是一类分布在肝、胰、肠、肾等多个组织器官,调节肝脏内基因特异性表达的一类转录因子。其主要亚型为HNF1、HNF3、HNF4和HNF6等,这些转录因子相互作用构成的复杂调控网络。2型糖尿病(Type2 diabetes mellitus,T2DM)的基本病理生理机制是胰岛素抵抗及胰岛β细胞损伤,最终导致高血糖。近年来的研究表明,HNFs在胰岛素抵抗及胰岛β细胞损伤中发挥关键的调控作用。本文对HNFs在T2DM发生中的胰岛素抵抗及胰岛β细胞损伤作用研究新进展作以回顾性综述,旨在为认识T2DM发病机制及提出防治策略提供理论基础。     

真核基因转录与转录调节相关复合物

真核细胞核中转录因子与染色质模板如何相互作用调节基因转录是基因表达调控研究的一个中心问题.近来的研究表明,参与基因转录的各种调节因子在核内形成多种复合物,如RNA聚合酶Ⅱ全酶、染色质重塑复合物、核小体以及增强小体等.这些复合物之间相互作用,调节染色质结构,在染色质模板上进一步组装成转录复合物,参与转录调节的各个环节,调节转录复合物活性.这些复合物的形成,整合了转录调节的各种信息,提高了转录调节效率,是真核基因有效、严格、有序表达的基础.另一方面,这些复合物的存在给基因表达调控的研究提出了新问题,发展新的研究思路和新的研究技术具有重要意义.     

MODY3相关蛋白HNF1α第249位丝氨酸突变导致小鼠葡萄糖代谢异常

肝细胞核因子1α(HNF1α)不仅是调节葡萄糖代谢的重要转录因子,还参与肝、胰等多个器官中蛋白质合成、物质代谢、增殖分化相关基因的表达调控。HNF1α突变或表达异常引发包括青少年糖尿病3型(maturity onset diabetes of young 3,MODY3)在内的多种代谢疾病。Ser249是HNF1α重要的功能位点,该位点受ATM蛋白激酶直接磷酸化修饰,并可能是ATM蛋白激酶影响葡萄糖代谢的效应靶点,也可能是共济失调毛细血管扩张症(ataxia telangiectasia,AT)患者糖代谢异常的致病靶点。为进一步研究Ser249磷酸化在体内的功能,本文构建人源野生型HNF1α转基因小鼠(WT小鼠)和HNF1αS249A转基因小鼠(S249A小鼠),对其基础代谢水平和葡萄糖代谢能力进行检测。相较于对照小鼠,S249A小鼠的多项基础代谢指标异常,WT小鼠未显示差异;但当小鼠接受刺激后,无论是注射葡萄糖,还是丙酮酸或胰岛素,相较于各自的对照小鼠,WT小鼠都表现出更强的反应性,而S249A小鼠的糖异生反应和胰岛素敏感性均未显示出差异。实时定量PCR结果表明,WT小鼠肝的多个糖代谢基因表达上调,但S249A小鼠肝中糖代谢基因上调幅度明显小于WT小鼠。本研究提示,HNF1αSer249突变导致小鼠糖代谢异常,可能与磷酸化修饰失调进而影响其转录活性有关。     

TFIID在配子发生和早期胚胎发育过程中的作用

配子发生以及胚胎早期发育过程受严格且有序的基因表达调控。多种转录因子与靶基因结合,激活基因的时空特异性表达,实现受精卵全能性的获得,完成母型基因组转录调控向合子基因组转录调控的转变以及随后胚胎细胞的分化调节。研究表明,TFIID转录因子家族在这些关键阶段起重要作用,在基因转录调节的起始阶段,TFIID转录因子家族成员作为通用转录因子被招募到靶基因的启动子上,与其他转录因子共同形成转录前起始复合物,起始转录。该文总结了TFIID转录因子的结构、作用方式,以及在配子发生和早期胚胎发育中的调控作用。     

转录因子与疾病

在真核基因表达调控中起重要作用的转录因子与许多疾病的关系近来已得到证实,本综述了某些这类疾病的临床表现,受累的转录因子基因、转录因子结合的启动子及转录因子调节的靶基因在疾病发病过程中可能的作用,预期该领域的研究进展将为这些疾病的基因诊断或治疗提供依据。     

端粒酶逆转录酶基因的结构特点及转录调控

调节端粒酶活性的最主要成份是端粒酶逆转录酶（hTERT) ,它往往在肿瘤发生的早期巳表达,故对其研究具有重大的临床意义,近年hTERT基因启动子区巳克隆鉴定,研究发现在其核心启动子区含有多个转录因子结合位点,体内外的转录因子结合在这些位点和“CPG岛”甲基化、组蛋白去乙酰化以及hTERT转录变异体的自身调节等构成了对hTERT基因转录调控的复杂系统。研究hTERT基因的转录调控将对肿瘤的发生发展、诊断和治疗提供重要的帮助。     

植物抗旱耐盐基因的研究进展

近几年许多与植物抗旱耐盐相关基因被克隆和分析,同时通过转基因技术将这些基因转到植物中异源表达,能显著提高转基因植物的抗旱耐盐能力。这些基因主要包括渗透调节基因、蛋白类基因(如信号传导中的蛋白激酶基因)及转录因子等。在逆境条件下,渗透调节基因通过合成脯氨酸、甜菜碱、糖类和多胺类等渗透调节物质维持植物中的渗透平衡;蛋白激酶基因产物是细胞信号传导中的组分,这些基因能促进植物对干旱失水反应和逆境信号的传递,启动抗逆基因的表达;转录因子通过与相关基因的特异性结合来调控其表达,进而产生相关调控蛋白等物质增强植物在逆境中的生存能力。本文主要综述了这三类抗逆基因的研究现状及其生物学机理,讨论并分析这些基因在应用中尚待解决的问题,为发掘更多的抗逆性的基因资源和进一步开展分子育种工作提供参考。     

p21WAF1／CIP1基因上游主要转录调控序列区及其相关功能

p21蛋白作为周期依赖性蛋白激酶抑制因子,调节细胞周期的进程,参与细胞生长、增殖、分化、衰老等多种活动,p21/WAF1/CIP1基因上游启动子中含有多个转录调控序列,包括p53,Sp1,Ap2,VDR及RAR,STAT,C/EBPα,β,E2A,MyoD和E2F等转录因子的顺式结合元件,在细胞的生长、分化、凋亡,衰老及疾病的发生发展中,这些转录因子通过与p21上游相应调控区相互作用,调节p21基因的表达。     

生肌调节因子及其作用机理

肌肉基因活化和转录受生肌调节因子调控,这些转录因子均有一高度保守的碱性区－螺旋－环－螺旋同源结构,与其它广泛表达的细胞因子相互作用,以平行二聚体结合于,肌肉基因控制区,激活基因转录,促进肌肉分化。这些因子只在骨骼肌表达,可自身和相互激活,并可以受育及其它细胞因子调控。     

Relationships between the expression of hepatocyte nuclear factors and factors essential for lipoprotein production in a human mesenchymal stem cell line,UE7T-13

To clarify the mechanisms regulating lipoprotein production by hepatocyte nuclear factors (HNFs), we generated four kinds of transfectants in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells: UE7T-13, stably expressing FOXA2 (also known as HNF3β), HNF4α, HNF1α or co-expressing HNF4α, and HNF1α (HNF4α/HNF1α). In HNF4α/HNF1α transfectants, cellular contents of triglycerides (TG) and cholesterol were markedly higher than in UE7T-13 cells and comparable to those in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. However, TG and cholesterol, which are secreted from cells as components of lipoproteins, were hardly detected in the medium for any of the transfectants. ApoB100 and MTP, which are essential for the formation and secretion of lipoproteins, were undetectable and detected at low levels, respectively, in HNF4α/HNF1α transfectants. We suggest that enforced co-expression of HNF4α and HNF1α is effective for cellular lipid accumulation, while additional factors are probably required for lipoprotein formation and secretion.     

Hepatocyte nuclear factors-1alpha, -1beta, and -3beta expressed in the gonad of tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus).

Hepatocyte nuclear factors (HNFs) are upstream regulators of many liver-specific genes and are involved in many cellular functions in the body, but their existence, expression, and function in gonads are still poorly understood. Here we report on the first cloning of partial cDNAs of HNF-1alpha and -1beta and full HNF-3beta cDNA from a tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) liver cDNA library. The deduced amino acid sequence of tilapia HNF-3beta has a 90 to 96% identity with those of other fishes (dwarf gourami, medaka, and zebrafish), 74% with mammals (human, rat, and mouse), and 82% with Xenopus. RT-PCR detected IGF-I and -II and HNF-1alpha, -1beta, and -3beta in both liver and gonads and the identity of the PCR fragments was confirmed by PCR hybridization. Immunoprecipitation and Western blotting also detected all three HNF proteins in both liver and gonads. Expression of HNFs in the gonads of the tilapia suggests that multi-HNFs may form a cascade to regulate gonadal physiology in the bony fish.     

Community heterogeneity and single‐cell digestive activity of estuarine heterotrophic nanoflagellates assessed using lysotracker and flow cytometry

Heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNFs) are an essential component of all aquatic microbial food webs, and yet the exploration of the numerical and single‐cell responses of these organisms in mixed assemblages still represents a major technical challenge. LysoTracker Green staining combined with flow cytometry was recently proposed for the enumeration of aquatic HNFs. Here we show that LysoTracker Green not only allows the enumeration of HNFs in estuarine samples with a wide range of HNF abundances, but also allows the discrimination of distinct HNF populations in mixed assemblages. In addition, the resulting cytometric parameters can be used to characterize cell size and the level of activity of the cells in the different populations that are detected. LysoTracker Green accumulates preferentially in lysosomes, and we demonstrate that the green fluorescence emission from HNF cells stained with LysoTracker strongly correlates with cell‐specific β‐glucosaminidase (β‐Gam) activity, a key digestive enzyme of lysosomal origin in eukaryotic cells. Our results further show that different populations that develop in estuarine regrowth cultures are characterized by different intrinsic ranges of size and of feeding activity, and that there is a wide range of single‐cell responses within these HNF populations. We found a large degree of uncoupling between cell size and feeding activity, both between and within HNF populations, and there appears to be no clear allometric scaling of feeding activity. We were able to reconstruct the succession of distinct HNF populations that developed during the regrowth experiments, and explore the complex interactions that occurred between numerical (change in abundance of the cytometric populations) and single‐cell HNF responses.