The Zα domain of PKZ from Carassius auratus can bind to d(GC)n in negative supercoils

PKZ was the most recently discovered member of eIF2α kinase family in fish. CaPKZ, the first identified fish PKZ, possessed a conserved eIF2α kinase catalytic domain in C-terminal and two Z-DNA binding domains (Zα) in N-terminal. The Zα of CaPKZ closely resembled that of other Z-DNA binding proteins: ADAR1, DLM-1, and E3L. In order to understand more about the function of CaPKZ, we expressed and purified three constructed peptides of CaPKZ (P_Zα): P_Zα1Zα2, P_Zα1Zα1 and P_Zα2Zα2. Moreover, most of the plasmids containing d(GC)_n inserts were maintained in the Z-conformation, as confirmed by using inhibition of methylation experiments and anti-Z-DNA antibody. Gel mobility shift assays were then used to examine the affinity of these P_Zα to the recombinant plasmids. Meanwhile, a competition experiment using P_Zα1Zα2 and anti-Z-DNA antibody was performed. The results revealed that P_Zα1Zα2 and P_Zα1Zα1 were able to bind to the recombinant plasmids with high affinity, whereas P_Zα2Zα2 could not bind to it. In addition, dimerization of P_Zα1Zα2 indicated the function unit of Zα of CaPKZ would be a dimer.     

Cooperative roles of fish protein kinase containing Z-DNA binding domains and double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase in interferon-mediated antiviral response

The double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-dependent protein kinase (PKR) inhibits protein synthesis by phosphorylating eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α). In fish species, in addition to PKR, there exists a PKR-like protein kinase containing Z-DNA binding domains (PKZ). However, the antiviral role of fish PKZ and the functional relationship between fish PKZ and PKR remain unknown. Here we confirmed the coexpression of fish PKZ and PKR proteins in Carassius auratus blastula embryonic (CAB) cells and identified them as two typical interferon (IFN)-inducible eIF2α kinases, both of which displayed an ability to inhibit virus replication. Strikingly, fish IFN or all kinds of IFN stimuli activated PKZ and PKR to phosphorylated eIF2α. Overexpression of both fish kinases together conferred much more significant inhibition of virus replication than overexpression of either protein, whereas morpholino knockdown of both made fish cells more vulnerable to virus infection than knockdown of either. The antiviral ability of fish PKZ was weaker than fish PKR, which correlated with its lower ability to phosphorylate eIF2α than PKR. Moreover, the independent association of fish PKZ or PKR reveals that each of them formed homodimers and that fish PKZ phosphorylated eIF2α independently on fish PKR and vice versa. These results suggest that fish PKZ and PKR play a nonredundant but cooperative role in IFN antiviral response.     

A truncated Danio rerio PKZ isoform functionally interacts with eIF2α and inhibits protein synthesis

A protein kinase containing Z-DNA binding domains (PKZ), which resembles protein kinase R (PKR) in domain organization, was recently discovered to be a member of the eIF2α kinase family in fish. PKR has roles in antiviral immunity through inhibiting protein synthesis and activating NF-κB; therefore, it is thought that PKZ may have a similar role in fish antiviral immunity. In the present study, the roles of two Danio rerio PKZ isoforms (DrPKZ-A and DrPKZ-B) in eIF2α phosphorylation and protein synthesis regulation were explored. DrPKZ-A and DrPKZ-B possess N-terminal Z-DNA binding domains and a conserved eIF2α kinase domain; however, they have domains of differing lengths inserted between kinase subdomains IV and V. DrPKZ-A has an insert domain of 73 amino acids (aa), whereas DrPKZ-B has an insert sequence of only 10 aa, suggesting that DrPKZ-B could be a dysfunctional isoform or could interact with different substrates. Our results show that both DrPKZ-A and DrPKZ-B functionally interact with eIF2α and inhibit protein synthesis, although DrPKZ-B possesses attenuated kinase activity. Our results also show that deletion of the insert in either isoform results in the complete abrogation of kinase activity, suggesting that the insert is critical for PKZ kinase activity. Kinase activity appears to be independent of insert length but may depend on the presence of specific amino acids within the insert domain. Furthermore, the effects of the N-terminal regulatory domain on kinase activity were analyzed. Deletion of the N-terminus results in reduced kinase activity of these isoforms relative to the wild-type forms, indicating that the isolated kinase domain is sufficient for eIF2α phosphorylation and that DrPKZ-A and DrPKZ-B may be regulated in a similar manner. Overall, our results show that DrPKZ-B is a functional kinase in zebrafish and contribute to our understanding of the function of PKZ in fish.     

草鱼CD8α和CD207的表达及抗细菌免疫的功能研究

为探讨树突状细胞(Dendritic cells, DCs)表面重要的表型分子CD8α和CD207在草鱼(Ctenopharyngodon idella) DCs抗细菌免疫应答中的作用,实验从草鱼DCs的cDNA中扩增CD8α和CD207胞外区,构建重组表达质粒pET-32a-CD8α/CD207,并转化到感受态细胞Transetta (DE3),表达纯化后制备CD8α和CD207多克隆抗体。利用qPCR、Western Blot及流式细胞术揭示草鱼CD8α和CD207在抗细菌免疫过程中发挥的功能。结果显示,制备的草鱼CD8α和CD207多克隆抗体既可以识别原核表达的重组蛋白,也能识别鱼体内和培养细胞的内源性蛋白。从功能上看,灭活嗜水气单胞菌处理草鱼DCs后,在24h内, CD8α和CD207的表达量均有显著上调(P<0.05);且CD8α和CD207分子在草鱼DCs呈递抗原刺激混合淋巴细胞增殖这一过程中发挥重要作用。因此,草鱼DCs表现出与哺乳动物相似的保守免疫表型和功能,研究结果为阐明草鱼DCs介导的适应性免疫调节机制奠定基础。     

Innate immune evasion mediated by the Ambystoma tigrinum virus eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2alpha homologue

Ranaviruses (family Iridoviridae, genus Ranavirus) are large, double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses whose replication is restricted to ectothermic vertebrates. Many highly pathogenic members of the genus Ranavirus encode a homologue of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α). Data in a heterologous vaccinia virus system suggest that the Ambystoma tigrinum virus (ATV) eIF2α homologue (vIF2αH; open reading frame [ORF] 57R) is involved in evading the host innate immune response by degrading the interferon-inducible, dsRNA-activated protein kinase, PKR. To test this hypothesis directly, the ATV vIF2αH gene (ORF 57R) was deleted by homologous recombination, and a selectable marker was inserted in its place. The ATVΔ57R virus has a small plaque phenotype and is 8-fold more sensitive to interferon than wild-type ATV (wtATV). Infection of fish cells with the ATVΔ57R virus leads to eIF2α phosphorylation, in contrast to infection with wtATV, which actively inhibits eIF2α phosphorylation. The inability of ATVΔ57R to prevent phosphorylation of eIF2α correlates with degradation of fish PKZ, an interferon-inducible enzyme that is closely related to mammalian PKR. In addition, salamanders infected with ATVΔ57R displayed an increased time to death compared to that of wtATV-infected salamanders. Therefore, in a biologically relevant system, the ATV vIF2αH gene acts as an innate immune evasion factor, thereby enhancing virus pathogenesis.     

草鱼IRE1-like基因的克隆、组织表达及其对微囊藻毒素-LR的响应

为了研究内质网应激相关基因需肌醇酶1(Inositol-requiring enzyme 1, IRE1-like)的结构和生物学功能及其在草鱼(Ctenopharyngodon idella)响应微囊藻毒素-LR(MC-LR)中的作用, 研究根据草鱼转录组测序结果得到该基因家族成员IRE1-like的EST序列, 采用RACE技术获得了草鱼IRE1-like基因的cDNA全长序列(登录号: MG797683)。该基因序列全长3595 bp, 包括3093 bp开放阅读框, 编码1030个氨基酸, 分子量为116.24 kD, 理论等电点为6.26, 具有跨膜结构和信号肽。草鱼IRE1-like基因包含Luminal (39—307 aa)、STKc (569—834 aa)和RNase (837—915 aa)三个结构域。同源性和系统进化树结果表明草鱼IRE1-like基因与斑马鱼IRE1-α基因亲缘关系最近。荧光定量PCR(qRT-PCR)检测结果表明, 草鱼IRE1-like基因在肝脏组织中的表达量最高, 在肌肉、脾脏、鳃和心脏等其他8种不同组织中也均有表达。不同剂量MC-LR诱导草鱼24h和96h后, 25 μg MC-LR/kg BW和100 μg MC-LR/kg BW剂量组中草鱼肝脏IRE1-like基因表达水平分别在24h和96h显著上升(P<0.05)。以上结果初步说明了草鱼IRE1-like基因可能在MC-LR诱导草鱼内质网应激中起着重要的作用, 为进一步研究草鱼IRE1-like基因的功能奠定了基础。     

CD真核表达载C 体的构建及在 2KHE39 细胞中的表达

目的：构建含自杀基因胞嘧啶脱氨酶（CD）的真核表达载体pcDNA3．1／HA—myc-His（-）Z—CD,并进行哺乳动物细胞HEK293转染研究。方法：以本实验室保存的含CD基因全长的质粒为模版,用PcR方法扩增CD基因阅读框序列,并定向克隆到带有HAtag的pcDNA3．1／HA—myc-His（-）Z载体上,使目的基因与HAtag在同一阅读框。重组体质粒经EcoRI和BamHI双酶切鉴定,并对插入的CD基因片段进行测序,将鉴定好的阳性重组质粒pcDNA3．1／HA—myc-His（-）Z—CD用脂质体介导转染HEK293,提取细胞蛋白,western blot检测CD基因的表达情况.结果：阳性重组质粒pcDNA3．1／HA—myc-His（-）ZCD经Eco砌和BanHI双酶切后,获得约为5．5kb片段和1．3kb插入片段,序列分析表明插入的片段与GenBank发布的序列一致．western blot检测到CD基因的表达。结论：成功构建了含自杀基因CD的真核表达质粒。     

突变型hTNFα重组体的构建及其在真核细胞中的表达

选择一种高效低毒的ｈＴＮＦαｃＤＮＡ突变体为目的基因,以质粒ｐｃＤＮＡ３１（＋）为载体,构建了ｈＴＮＦα重组体ｐｃＤＮＡ３１（＋）－ｈＴＮＦα。经限制性内切酶分析证实了重组体结构的正确性,用ＤＮＡ－磷酸钙共沉淀法将重组体导入鼠成纤维细胞ＮＩＨ３Ｔ３中,测其瞬时表达,证明重组体有表达突变型ｈＴＮＦα蛋白的功能。突变型ｈＴＮＦα表达质粒的成功构建,为其应用于肿瘤的基因治疗提供了前提     

NKX3.1 potentiates TNF-α/CHX-induced apoptosis of prostate cancer cells through increasing caspase-3 expression and its activity

NKX3.1, a prostate-specific homeobox gene, plays an important role in prostate cancer and usually functions as tumor suppressor gene. Previously we have demonstrated that forced expression of NKX3.1 reduced cell growth and invasion in prostate cancer cell line PC-3. Presently, we investigated the effect of NKX3.1 on the sensitivity of the prostate cancer cells to apoptosis inducer tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and cycloheximide (CHX). PC-3 cells were transfected with NKX3.1 expression plasmid (pcDNA3.1-NKX3.1) and LNCaP cells were transfected with siRNA expression plasmid (pRNAT-RNAi1) targeting NKX3.1. The cell morphology and apoptotic rate were analyzed by Hoechst 33342 staining and Flow Cytometry in absence or presence of TNF-α and CHX. The activity of caspase-3 was determined using DEVD-pNA as substrate. Simultaneously, the effect of NKX3.1 on caspase-3 expression was detected using RT-PCR and Western blot. The results showed that ectopic expression of NKX3.1 promoted TNF-α/CHX-induced apoptosis in PC-3 cells, whereas knockdown of NKX3.1 protected LNCaP cells from apoptosis induced by TNF-α/CHX. The pro-apoptosis activity of NKX3.1 might partially contribute to its elevation of caspase-3 expression and activity. Manipulating NKX3.1 expression should be a promising therapeutic strategy for treating both androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer.     

The Atlantic salmon Z-DNA binding protein kinase phosphorylates translation initiation factor 2 alpha and constitutes a unique orthologue to the mammalian dsRNA-activated protein kinase R

The translation initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2alpha)-kinase, dsRNA-activated protein kinase (PKR), constitutes one of the major antiviral proteins activated by viral infection of vertebrates. PKR is activated by viral double-stranded RNA and subsequently phosphorylates the alpha-subunit of translation initiation factor eIF2. This results in overall down regulation of protein synthesis in the cell and inhibition of viral replication. Fish appear to have a PKR-like protein that has Z-DNA binding domains instead of dsRNA binding domains in the regulatory domain, and has thus been termed Z-DNA binding protein kinase (PKZ). We present the cloning of the Atlantic salmon PKZ cDNA and show its upregulation by interferon in Atlantic salmon TO cells and poly inosinic poly cytodylic acid in head kidney. We also demonstrate that recombinant Atlantic salmon PKZ, expressed in Escherichia coli, phosphorylates eIF2alphain vitro. This is the first demonstration that PKZ is able to phosphorylate eIF2alpha. PKZ activity, as measured by phosphorylation of eIF2alpha, was increased after addition of Z-DNA, but not by dsRNA. In addition, we show that wild-type Atlantic salmon PKZ, but not the kinase defective variant K217R, has a direct inhibitory effect on protein synthesis after transient expression in Chinook salmon embryo cells. Overall, the results support a role for PKZ, like PKR, in host defense against virus infection.     

草鱼免疫相关基因Prkrip1的克隆和表达分析

随着草鱼养殖规模的扩大, 草鱼的病毒性疾病极大地影响着草鱼的产量。开展鱼类病毒免疫反应相关功能基因的研究意义重大。研究首先通过同源克隆的方法从草鱼中克隆到了一段Prkrip1基因的EST序列, 进一步通过RACE、长片段PCR和Genome walking的方法获得了该基因的全长cDNA序列、基因组DNA序列和启动子区序列。氨基酸序列分析显示, Prkrip1含有3个核定位信号和一个双链RNA结合区, 并具有与PKR结合的保守N端区; 荧光报告基因的表达证实我们所克隆到的启动子区是有活性的, 可用于后续该基因的转录调控分析; Real-time PCR分析发现, Prkrip1 基因在草鱼的肝和血中表达量最高, GCRV感染后在大部分免疫组织中均上调表达, 说明该基因确实与病毒感染相关。研究结果为Prkrip1基因在硬骨鱼类的功能研究提供了线索, 也为鱼类天然免疫反应中调控PKR信号通路的系统研究提供了理论依据。       

Functional domains and the antiviral effect of the double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase PKR from Paralichthys olivaceus

The double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-dependent protein kinase PKR is thought to mediate a conserved antiviral pathway by inhibiting viral protein synthesis via the phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2alpha). However, little is known about the data related to the lower vertebrates, including fish. Recently, the identification of PKR-like, or PKZ, has addressed the question of whether there is an orthologous PKR in fish. Here, we identify the first fish PKR gene from the Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus (PoPKR). PoPKR encodes a protein that shows a conserved structure that is characteristic of mammalian PKRs, having both the N-terminal region for dsRNA binding and the C-terminal region for the inhibition of protein translation. The catalytic activity of PoPKR is further evidence that it is required for protein translation inhibition in vitro. PoPKR is constitutively transcribed at low levels and is highly induced after virus infection. Strikingly, PoPKR overexpression increases eIF2alpha phosphorylation and inhibits the replication of Scophthalmus maximus rhabdovirus (SMRV) in flounder embryonic cells, whereas phosphorylation and antiviral effects are impaired in transfected cells expressing the catalytically inactive PKR-K421R variant, indicating that PoPKR inhibits virus replication by phosphorylating substrate eIF2alpha. The interaction between PoPKR and eIF2alpha is demonstrated by coimmunoprecipitation assays, and the transfection of PoPKR-specific short interfering RNA further reveals that the enhanced eIF2alpha phosphorylation is catalyzed by PoPKR during SMRV infection. The current data provide significant evidence for the existence of a PKR-mediated antiviral pathway in fish and reveal considerable conservation in the functional domains and the antiviral effect of PKR proteins between fish and mammals.     

Carp growth hormone: molecular cloning and sequencing of cDNA

cDNA clones of the fish Cyprinus carpio growth hormone (GH) mRNA have been isolated from a cDNA library prepared from carp pituitary gland poly(A)+RNA. The nucleotide sequence of one of the carp GH cDNA clones containing an insert of 1164 nucleotides (nt) was determined. The cDNA sequence was found to encode a polypeptide of 210 amino acids (aa) including a signal peptide of 22 aa and to contain 5' and 3' untranslated regions of the mRNA of 36 and 498 nt, respectively. The carp GH presents a 63% amino acid sequence homology with the salmon GH, has structural features common with other GH polypeptides of mammalian or avian origin and contains domains of conserved sequence near the N- and C-terminal regions. Southern blot hybridization of carp genomic DNA with GH cDNA probes shows the presence of at least two GH-coding sequences in the fish genome.     

小鼠胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白-7真核表达载体的构建及序列分析

利用PCR技术,从质粒pRSET／mIGFBP-7中获得目的基因小鼠胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白-7（mIGFBP-7）,将其插入质粒pcDNA3．1／HisB中,构建了含mIGFBP-7的真核表达重组质粒pcDNA3．1／mIGFBP-7。经测序鉴定,重组质粒构建正确,为下一步对其功能研究奠定了基础。