A chimeric satellite transgene sequence is inefficiently targeted by viroid-induced DNA methylation in tobacco

In plants, transgenes containing Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) cDNA sequences were efficient targets of PSTVd infection-mediated RNA-directed DNA methylation. Here, we demonstrate that in PSTVd-infected tobacco plants, a 134 bp PSTVd fragment (PSTVd-134) did not become densely methylated when it was inserted into a chimeric Satellite tobacco mosaic virus (STMV) construct. Only about 4–5% of all cytosines (Cs) of the PSTVd-134 were methylated when flanked by satellite sequences. In the same plants, C methylation was approximately 92% when the PSTVd-134 was in a PSTVd full length sequence context and roughly 33% when flanked at its 3′ end by a 19 bp PSTVd and at its 5′ end by a short viroid-unrelated sequence. In addition, PSTVd small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) produced from the replicating viroid failed to target PSTVd-134-containing chimeric STMV RNA for degradation. Satellite RNAs appear to have adopted secondary structures that protect them against RNA interference (RNAi)—mediated degradation. Protection can be extended to short non-satellite sequences residing in satellite RNAs, rendering them poor targets for nuclear and cytoplasmic RNAi induced in trans.     

Mitochondrial D-loop sequence variation among the 16 maternal lines of the Lipizzan horse breed

Mitochondrial DNA from 49 Lipizzan horses representing 16 maternal lines from the original stud at Lipica was used for SSCP analysis and DNA sequencing. The SSCP analysis of the 444 bp long fragment of the D-loop region extending from the tRNA(Pro) gene to the central conserved sequence block revealed three distinct groups of SSCP patterns. Both ends of the D-loop region (378 bp and 310 bp), which are considered as the most variable regions within the mammalian mitochondrial DNA, were sequenced. According to 49 polymorphic sites identified within the both parts of the D-loop region, the 16 maternal lines were grouped into 13 distinct mitochondrial haplotypes. The minimal difference between two different haplotype DNA sequences was one nucleotide and the maximal 24 nucleotides. The inheritance of mitochondrial haplotypes was stable and no sequence variation potentially attributable to mutation within maternal line was observed. Considerable DNA sequence similarity of Lipizzan mitochondrial haplotypes with the haplotypes from other breeds was observed. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequence data revealed a dendrogram with three separated branches, supporting the historical data about the multiple origin of the Lipizzan breed.     

豌豆外源凝集素基因的克隆及序列分析

从豌豆幼叶分离基因组ＤＮＡ,设计特异引物,用聚合酶链式反应方法扩增出豌豆外源凝集素基因并克隆到Ｅ．ｃｏｌｉ质粒ｐＢｌｕｅｓｃｒｉｐｔＳＫ（＋）的ＥｃｏＲＶ位点。进一步亚克隆至ｐＵＣ１９。序列分析表明,克隆到的片段大小为８３２ｂｐ,包含了豌豆外源凝集素基因完整的编码序列。该基因无内含子,同报道的已知序列相比,其核苷酸序列及推测的氨基酸序列的同源率分别为９９．６％和９８．９％。     

米根霉糖化酶、类芽孢杆菌木聚糖酶融合蛋白的真核分泌表达

以米根霉(Rhizopus oryzae)3.866基因组DNA为模板,克隆得到糖化酶基因(glucoamylase gene, amyA),基因全长2 049 bp,编码604个氨基酸;以类芽孢杆菌(Paenibacillus sp.)H10-3基因组DNA为模板,克隆出基因木聚糖酶基因(xylanase A gene, xynA)的成熟肽编码序列,长636 bp,编码211个氨基酸。通过重叠延伸PCR(SOE-PCR)得到拼接片段amyA-l-xynA,并将其克隆到毕赤酵母表达载体pPIC9中,得到重组质粒pPIC9-amyA-l-xynA,重组质粒线性化后经电击转化到毕赤酵母(Pichia pastoris)GS115中,得到了表达成功的工程菌AX11。在AX11发酵上清液中同时检测到糖化酶活性(5.8 U/mL)和木聚糖酶活性(32.3 U/mL)。     

烟曲霉菌壳聚糖酶基因的克隆及在大肠杆菌中的表达

根据GenBank中发布的烟曲霉菌壳聚糖酶（Aspergillus fumigatus chitosanase,EC3.2.1.132）基因序列人工合成8条DNA长链及4条引物链。DNA链的设计上在不改变壳聚糖酶氨基酸组成的前提下选择大肠杆菌使用频率高的密码子。PCR拼接法扩增壳聚糖酶基因并克隆入pGEM_T easy载体进行序列分析,进一步亚克隆入表达载体pGEX_3X。重组质粒pGEX_Csn转化E.coli DH5α,IPTG诱导表达,亲和层析及Factor Xa酶解纯化重组Csn。所得重组壳聚糖酶具有降解壳聚糖的生物活性,其活性受温度及pH值的影响。     

金黄色葡萄球菌肠毒素B基因的克隆和在大肠杆菌中高效表达

利用PCR方法从金黄色葡萄球菌TSTw基因组DNA中扩增出约700bp的DNA片段,将之克隆到pGEM7Zf(+)载体上并转化大肠杆菌 DH5α菌株。重组质粒的测序结果表明克隆到了seb基因,它含有717bp（不包括N端81bp的信号肽编码区）,其核苷酸序列与文献报道完全一致。将其连接于表达载体7ZTS上,转化到大肠杆菌JM109（DE3）内。表达的SEB占总蛋白33.5%。      

中国牛朊病毒基因的克隆和序列分析

从中国牛外周血中分离淋巴细胞,提取基因组DNA.用所设计引物以聚合酶链式反应扩增出不致病的朊病毒蛋白(PrP~c)基因,并克隆到pGEM-Teasy Vector.序列分析表明所克隆的牛PrP~c的片段大小为795bp,包含了牛朊病毒基因的完整编码区序列.该基因无内含子,同国外报道的已知序列完全相同.