人类锌指蛋白ZNF382对肌生成的调控作用

人类基因组中有大量哺乳类特有的KRAB锌指基因,这些基因的功能大多尚不清楚,ZNF382就是其中一个.本文研究了人类锌指蛋白ZNF382对肌生成的调控作用.人类ZNF382基因在肌肉组织中高表达,ZNF382的mRNA水平在C2C12细胞的肌生成过程中上调,ZNF382调节肌肉特异性基因的表达,在NIH3T3细胞中,ZNF382与E-box蛋白E12和成肌调节因子MyoD共转增强肌肉肌酸激酶MCK启动子的活性;ZNF382的启动子预测分析也发现ZNF382的启动子上含有MyoD和血清反应因子SRF的结合位点,这些结果提示人类ZNF382蛋白在肌生成中起着重要的作用.     

关岭牛MyoD玉基因启动子报告质粒的构建及活性验证

为了克隆关岭牛MyoD玉基因启动子并验证其启动活性,根据GenBank中牛的MyoD玉基因序列设计PCR引物,用PCR技术扩增牛MyoD玉基因的启动子,构建重组克隆载体pUCmT-MyoD玉;并通过PCR扩增、限制性酶切、测序及生物信息学分析对阳性克隆进行鉴定;构建报告质粒pGL3-MyoD玉,并将其转染小鼠C2C12、3T3-L1细胞系,检测其24 h后的双荧光素酶活性。实验结果获得了关岭牛MyoD玉基因启动子,其序列长度为993 bp,并成功构建了MyoD玉启动子报告质粒;双荧光素酶活性检测表明pGL3-MyoD玉在小鼠C2C12细胞中的表达是pGL3空载体40.65倍,在小鼠3T3-L1细胞中的表达是空载体的1.13倍,MyoD玉启动子在小鼠C2C12细胞中的表达高于3T3-L1细胞(**p<0.01)。结果表明关岭牛MyoD玉基因启动子具有启动活性,在小鼠骨骼肌细胞中特异性表达。     

PLAGL2与SP—C基因启动子相互作用的研究

目的研究PLAGL2（pleiomorphic adenoma genelike-2,PLAGL2）对SP-C基因（surfactant pro-tein—C,SP—C）启动子的结合与影响作用。方法定点诱变技术（site—directed mutagenesis）及凝胶电泳迁移实验（electrophoresis mobility shiftassay,EMSA）研究PLAGL2与SP—C基因启动子之间的相互结合作用;体外培养MLE12细胞共转染和荧光素酶报告基因活性值检测技术,研究PLAGL2对SP—C基因启动子表达活性的影响;结果EMSA及竞争性EMSA实验表明：PLAGL2能通过其核心和簇结合位点序列与同位素标记的SP—C基因启动子片段相结合形成蛋白-DNA复合物;细胞共转染及荧光素酶报告基因活性值检测结果显示：PLAGL2能明显促进SP—C基因启动子的表达。结论在肺Ⅱ型细胞中,PLAGL2能与SP—C基因启动子相互作用并促进其表达。     

E1A激活基因阻遏子过表达诱导体外培养大鼠平滑肌细胞分化

为探讨E1A激活基因阻遏子蛋白(CREG)对血管平滑肌细胞表型转换的调控机制,应用pRC/CMV-hCREG真核表达载体转染体外培养的大鼠血管平滑肌细胞(VSMCs),观察了转染前后细胞的表型改变.结果发现,pRC/CMV-hCREG质粒转染后,大鼠平滑肌细胞增殖受抑,细胞分化标志蛋白SM α-actin表达显著增加.免疫共沉淀分析发现,CREG与血清反应因子(SRF)发生相互作用形成复合体,在CREG基因过表达时,与CREG结合的SRF蛋白增加.凝胶迁移阻滞分析(GSMA)和抗体凝胶迁移阻滞分析(supershift)显示,过表达的CREG蛋白与SRF蛋白共同结合到 SM α-actin基因启动子区CArG位点上,可能参与 SM α-actin表达的调控. 构建SM α-actin promoter- pCAT^® 3报告基因载体并与pRC/CMV-hCREG质粒共转染VSMCs也证实,CREG蛋白过表达可增强SM α-actin基因表达.上述研究提示,CREG蛋白可能是调控VSMCs表型转换的重要分子.     

KLHL31促进C2C12细胞的肌原分化

人类KLHL31基因是本实验室已克隆的基因,其蛋白质含有保守的BTB和串连重复的Kelch结构域,已有报道表明其在人类成体骨骼肌和心肌组织中特异表达。RT-PCR分析表明在C2C12细胞肌原分化过程中过表达KLHL31能够提高肌原分化标志基因MyoD与Myogenin的转录水平;荧光报告系统分析发现过表达KLHL31能够增强肌原分化相关基因MCK启动子的活性,表明KLHL31能够促进C2C12细胞的肌原分化。     

IGF-1在治疗骨骼肌损伤中的应用潜能及其相关机制

胰岛素样生长因子-1(IGF-1)作为一种生长因子,在骨骼肌损伤后治疗过程中发挥重要的作用。局部注射外源性IGF-1或通过转基因技术使损伤处骨骼肌细胞过表达IGF-1,均能促进损伤骨骼肌再生。IGF-1促进损伤骨骼肌修复的机制可能与如下因素有关:激活骨骼肌卫星细胞,促进成肌细胞增殖与分化,促进蛋白质合成并抑制蛋白分解;抑制骨骼肌炎症反应,并调节巨噬细胞极化;抑制细胞表达胶原蛋白,减少骨骼肌纤维化;作为一种潜在的神经营养因子和生血管因子,促进损伤后的神经和血管再生。因此,IGF-1在骨骼肌损伤后的治疗中具有重要的应用前景。     

Myostatin通过Smad3下调MyoD的表达来抑制骨骼肌卫星细胞的分化

Myostatin基因,是肌肉生长的负调控因子,通过下调MyoD的表达抑制骨骼肌细胞的分化,但具体机制目前尚未完全清楚。本研究以体外培养的猪骨骼肌卫星细胞为实验材料,利用RNAi 技术,以Smad3为靶基因进行干扰研究,研究干扰前后猪骨骼肌卫星细胞增殖情况的变化以及MyoD、Myostatin基因的表达规律,进一步阐述三个基因间的调控关系。结果表明,Myostatin通过下调MyoD的表达,抑制骨骼肌卫星细胞的分化,但这种抑制作用是受Smad3调节的。     

CYP7A1基因-204位点A/C变异对启动子活性的影响

CYP7A1（cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase ）在胆固醇向胆汁酸代谢途径中起着至关重要的作用.为研究该基因启动子区-204位点A/C多态性是否影响基因表达, 利用荧光素酶作为报告基因,将含有A或C等位基因的启动子区片段分别正向和反向插入不含启动子的pGL3 basic质粒载体中,再以重组体转染4种细胞株,采用双荧光素酶报告基因检测系统测定酶活性并进行比较.实验结果表明,2种基因型的正向序列启动子活性均高于相应的反向序列,含有A等位基因的启动子片段活性比含有C等位基因的片段低约1/3.TRANSFAC数据库分析显示,当-204位点等位基因为C时,可能存在1个Zic3结合位点.研究结果提示,CYP7A1基因启动子区-204位点A/C变异可减少启动子活性从而影响基因表达,其原因可能为1个潜在的Zic3结合位点的丧失.     

NFY和RFX1对人PNRC启动子的调控作用

探讨核因子Y（nuclear factor Y, NFY）和调节因子X1（regulatory factors that bind to the X box, RFX1）对人PNRC（proline rich nuclear receptor coactivator）基因的调控作用及机制.根据凝胶电泳迁移率变化实验,分析NFY和RFX1与PNRC启动子区域的结合.将含有NFY和RFX1的真核表达质粒(pCMV-NFY, pCMV-RFX1)和含有PNRC启动子的荧光素酶报告基因质粒共转染HepG2细胞,检测转染细胞的荧光素酶活性,并用RT-PCR和Western印迹检测PNR的表达情况.Quick-Change法对PNRC启动子区NFY和RFX1结合位点进行突变,将包含突变点的重组荧光素酶报告质粒与含有NFY和RFX1的真核表达质粒共同转染HepG2细胞,检测各组荧光素酶活性.结果发现,NFY和RFX1能与PNRC启动子区域特异性结合;转染pCMV-NFY和pCMV-RFX1可抑制PNRC启动子活性并下调PNRC在HepG2细胞中的表达;包含NFY和RFX1结合位点的突变质粒与pCMV-NFY和pCMV-RFX1共转染后,NFY和RFX1对PNRC启动子活性的抑制作用消失. 以上结果提示,NFY和RFX1能调控PNRC基因的表达,其机制是与PNRC启动子区域的特异性结合位点相结合,发挥其反式抑制作用.     

肌肉增强子因子2对猪肌肉生长抑制素启动子活性的调节

肌肉生长抑制素(Myostatin,Mstn)是转化生长因子-β超家族的成员,在哺乳动物的骨骼肌生长和分化过程中起负调控作用,其转录调控受到多个基因的影响,其中肌肉增强子因子2(MEF2)是重要的调控因子之一。因此,对猪Mstn启动子上MEF2位点及其作用方式的探讨具有重要意义。首先,通过PCR方法扩增了猪Mstn基因上游1 969 kb的启动子序列,利用生物信息学方法分析该序列包含3个MEF2的结合位点;其次,采用逐步删除的方法获得5个长度不等的启动子,用荧光素酶报告系统评估了它们在小鼠成肌细胞C2C12中的活性。其次,转入含有MEF2结合位点的启动子片段和MEF2C表达载体,可以显著增强启动子活性2～6倍,高表达另一亚型MEF2A则启动子活性没有明显改变。最后,转入MEF2C表达载体,用实时定量PCR和Western blotting方法检测Mstn的转录和蛋白水平的变化,结果发现mRNA升高了2～4倍;在肌管细胞中,蛋白翻译水平也有显著升高。这些结果显示,MEF2C可以通过激活Mstn参与猪肌肉生长和发育阶段的调节。研究为Mstn基因的转录调控提供了有效的作用靶点和效应分子,为进一步探讨Mstn的功能调控提供了一种新的思路。     

A cyclic AMP-dependent pathway regulates the expression of acetylcholinesterase during myogenic differentiation of C2C12 cells

The expression of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is markedly increased during myogenic differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts to myotubes; the expression is mediated by intrinsic factor(s) during muscle differentiation. In order to analyze the molecular mechanisms regulating AChE expression during myogenic differentiation, a approximately 2.2-kb human AChE promoter tagged with a luciferase reporter gene, namely pAChE-Luc, was stably transfected into C2C12 cells. The profile of promoter-driven luciferase activity during myogenic differentiation of C2C12 myotubes was found to be similar to that of endogenous expression of AChE catalytic subunit. The increase of AChE expression was reciprocally regulated by a cAMP-dependent signaling pathway. The level of intracellular cAMP, the activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, the phosphorylation of cAMP-responsive element binding protein and the activity of cAMP- responsive element (CRE) were down-regulated during the myotube formation. Mutating the CRE site of human AChE promoter altered the original myogenic profile of the promoter activity and its suppressive response to cAMP. In addition, the suppressive effect of the CRE site is dependent on its location on the promoter. Therefore, our results suggest that a cAMP-dependent signaling pathway serves as a suppressive element in regulating the expression of AChE during early myogenesis.     

Identification of a new hybrid serum response factor and myocyte enhancer factor 2-binding element in MyoD enhancer required for MyoD expression during myogenesis

MyoD is a critical myogenic factor induced rapidly upon activation of quiescent satellite cells, and required for their differentiation during muscle regeneration. One of the two enhancers of MyoD, the distal regulatory region, is essential for MyoD expression in postnatal muscle. This enhancer contains a functional divergent serum response factor (SRF)-binding CArG element required for MyoD expression during myoblast growth and muscle regeneration in vivo. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and microinjection analyses show this element is a hybrid SRF- and MEF2 Binding (SMB) sequence where myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) complexes can compete out binding of SRF at the onset of differentiation. As cells differentiate into postmitotic myotubes, MyoD expression no longer requires SRF but instead MEF2 binding to this dual-specificity element. As such, the MyoD enhancer SMB element is the site for a molecular relay where MyoD expression is first initiated in activated satellite cells in an SRF-dependent manner and then increased and maintained by MEF2 binding in differentiated myotubes. Therefore, SMB is a DNA element with dual and stage-specific binding activity, which modulates the effects of regulatory proteins critical in controlling the balance between proliferation and differentiation.     

RTVP-1 expression is regulated by SRF downstream of protein kinase C and contributes to the effect of SRF on glioma cell migration

Gliomas are characterized by increased infiltration into the surrounding normal brain tissue. We recently reported that RTVP-1 is highly expressed in gliomas and plays a role in the migration of these cells, however the regulation of RTVP-1 expression in these cells is not yet described. In this study we examined the role of PKC in the regulation of RTVP-1 expression and found that PMA and overexpression of PKCα and PKCε increased the expression of RTVP-1, whereas PKCδ exerted an opposite effect. Using the MatInspector software, we identified a SRF binding site on the RTVP-1 promoter. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay revealed that SRF binds to the RTVP-1 promoter in U87 cells, and that this binding was significantly increased in response to serum addition. Moreover, silencing of SRF blocked the induction of RTVP-1 expression in response to serum. We found that overexpression of PKCα and PKCε increased the activity of the RTVP-1 promoter and the binding of SRF to the promoter. In contrast, overexpression of PKCδ blocked the increase in RTVP-1 expression in response to serum and the inhibitory effect of PKCδ was abrogated in cells expressing a SRFT160A mutant. SRF regulated the migration of glioma cells and its effect was partially mediated by RTVP-1. We conclude that RTVP-1 is a PKC-regulated gene and that this regulation is at least partly mediated by SRF. Moreover, RTVP-1 plays a role in the effect of SRF on glioma cell migration.