真核细胞中多重表达框mRNA的选择性翻译起始（英文）

扫描模型和遗漏扫描模型是真核生物m RNA翻译起始的两种主要机制,但其仍存在某些例外情况,如对具有多顺反子结构的m RNA,选择性翻译起始的发生机制目前仍不清楚.本研究基于GFP蛋白开放表达框(ORF)构建了一系列重组表达载体,用以转录在移码翻译顺序及同一翻译顺序下,AUG起始密码子处于不同序列背景,以及间隔不同距离的多顺反子结构m RNA.通过转染人Bel-7402细胞系,研究了这些多顺反子结构m RNA的翻译起始模式.结果表明,在移码翻译顺序下,多顺反子m RNA可翻译出对应的不同蛋白质,而在同一翻译顺序下,GFP蛋白表达框中的多个AUG密码子,仅有首位起始密码子可发挥作用,提示核糖体在从首位起始密码子开始翻译的同时,可能会有部分核糖体继续向下扫描并识别下游的起始密码子,而这种选择性的翻译起始效率,主要取决于密码子所处的序列背景及间隔距离等因素.     

靠近5′端帽子的上游AUG不影响t-PA mRNA的翻译

大多数真核生物mRNA的翻译起始都符合Kozak提出的扫描学说,即40s小亚基携带相应的起始因子进入mRNA的5′末端,沿mRNA线性滑动,至第一个AUG起始密码处与60s大亚基结合,形成第一个肽键,然后进入肽链延伸阶段。本课题组所构建的重组质粒pMM 5065含人组织型纤溶酶原激活剂(t-PA)cDNA。序列分析证明,该质粒中t-PA起始密码子ATG的5′端序列为:AAGCTTGCATGCCTGCAGGTC ATG GAT……,可见转录后t-PA mRNA起妈密码子AUG的5′端还有一个AUG三联体(即上游AUG),形成一个较长的与t-PA框架不同的阅读框     

基于mRNA 5'端TIR区二级结构优化提高重组sTNFαRI在大肠杆菌中的表达水平

目的:通过优化PET11b-s TNFαRI 5'mRNA翻译起始区(TIR)二级结构从而提高可溶性肿瘤坏死因子I型受体(sTNFαRI)在大肠杆菌[E.coli BL21(DE3)]中的表达水平。方法:通过对PET11b-s TNFαRI mRNA 5'端TIR区二级结构的自由能及核苷酸位置熵分析,设计相应的引物对mRNA 5'翻译起始区(TIR)相应密码子进行突变,从而使核糖体结合位点(RBS)及起始密码子(AUG)暴露于发夹结构之外,此外将p ET11b核糖体结合位点由GAAGGAGA突变为GAAGAA,以利于翻译复合体的组装以及翻译起始。通过基因克隆的方法将5'端TIR区优化后的序列与s TNFαRI序列一起克隆到p ET11b载体中,并转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3),阳性转化子经IPTG诱导表达,SDS-PAGE和Western blot检测。结果:通过对PET11b-s TNFαRI 5'TIR mRNA二级结构优化,经SDS-PAGE和Western blot分析表明重组s TNFαRI的表达水平较优化前提高50%~60%。结论:通过对重组载体翻译起始区(TIR)mRNA序列的二级结构优化可以有效提高目的蛋白的表达水平,对进一步工业化生产具有重要的应用价值。     

大肠杆菌双顺反子表达载体中绿色荧光蛋白表达水平的研究

构建了一系列含有编码硫氧还蛋白(Trx)和绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)基因的双顺反子重组表达质粒,重点考察双顺反子间紧密相连和重迭的间隔序列.诱导表达后,对表达的GFP进行荧光检测,利用GFP的荧光强度来反映蛋白质的表达水平.结果表明各表达载体所表达的GFP的平均荧光强度差距很大,表明双顺反子间的间隔序列对报告基因表达水平有一定的影响,为实现不同功能基因表达的精确调控奠定了基础.     

5'UTR中AUG的分布及其对翻译起始的影响

以细菌和古菌基因组5’UTR序列作为研究对象,分析在5’UTR的3个不同阅读框架中三联体AUG的分布,发现无论是细菌还是古菌基因组都在阅读框1中有非常明显的AUG缺失（depletion）。AUG的缺失表明在起始密码子上游的AUG很可能会对基因的翻译起始产生影响。分析得知：绝大部分的AUG都是以uORF（upstream open readingframe）的形式出现的,uAUG（upstreamAUG）的数量很少,特别是在阅读框1中,而且在细菌基因组的阅读框1中uAUG较多地出现在了含有SD序列的基因上游。比较发现,uAUG引导的序列在同义密码子使用上的偏好性较真正的编码序列差,这可能表明细菌和古菌在同义密码子使用上的偏好性也是决定基因准确地翻译起始的重要因素之一。     

5’UTR中AUG的分布及其对翻译起始的影响

以细菌和古菌基因组5′ UTR序列作为研究对象,分析在5′ UTR 的3个不同阅读框架中三联体AUG的分布,发现无论是细菌还是古菌基因组都在阅读框1中有非常明显的AUG缺失(depletion)。AUG的缺失表明在起始密码子上游的AUG很可能会对基因的翻译起始产生影响。分析得知：绝大部分的AUG都是以uORF(upstream open reading frame)的形式出现的,uAUG(upstream AUG)的数量很少,特别是在阅读框1中,而且在细菌基因组的阅读框1中uAUG较多地出现在了含有SD序列的基因上游。比较发现,uAUG引导的序列在同义密码子使用上的偏好性较真正的编码序列差,这可能表明细菌和古菌在同义密码子使用上的偏好性也是决定基因准确地翻译起始的重要因素之一。     

基因表达与mRNA结构的关系

基因的转录调控和转录后水平的调控在基因表达过程中起着重要作用。mRNA的结构与基因表达调控的关系非常密切。目前对于mRNA结构对表达的影响因素,主要集中于起始密码子和S-D序列的结构和间隔长度、基因和基因间的间隔区序列和长度,5’末端与3’末端非翻译区、多聚（A）尾、内含子序列对翻译起始效率、发夹结构对mRNA的稳定性的影响和mRNA翻译起始区等对基因表达影响。     

同义密码子使用模式对多肽链共翻译折叠的影响研究进展

同义密码子使用模式作为核苷酸与氨基酸的纽带,其多样性介导了核糖体扫描速率,同时扩充了基因的遗传信息存储量。随着新型技术的应用,发现特异性密码子和密码子结合力可调节核糖体扫描速率并影响蛋白质构象。同义密码子使用模式通过多种方式在不同环节影响着核糖体扫描速率,同时还影响着自身mRNA的稳定性。本文简述了密码子使用模式如何在核糖体扫描翻译mRNA的过程中实现对多肽链翻译延伸的调控,为今后生物工程学领域如何优化蛋白高效表达提供可参考的思路与理念。     

原核表达中优化起始密码下游序列的软件设计与实现

在原核表达中影响外源基因表达效率的因素有很多,这其中翻译起始效率起了非常重要的作用。翻译起始效率又主要受SD序列、SD序列与起始密码子之间的间距、DB(DownstreamBox)序列、mRNA翻译起始区(TIR)的二级结构和稀有密码子等因素的影响。主要针对DB序列和5′端稀有密码子的优化设计了软件。通过计算机对序列进行分析比对后,按照匹配碱基数、匹配位置、密码子使用频率平均值的顺序进行排序,给出一些优化序列,并给出了软件算法。     

茶尺蠖小RNA病毒5′端非编码区的克隆和测序及与哺乳动物小RNA病毒的比较分析

用Trizol从纯化的茶尺蠖Ectropis oblique 小RNA病毒(EoPV)中提取病毒基因组RNA,逆转录后加poly(dT),然后进行两步PCR扩增基因组5′端.克隆测序后,对其5′端非编码区的核苷酸序列进行分析,发现具有哺乳动物小RNA病毒的5′端非编码区的一些特征:A/T含量丰富、起始密码子上游AUG和小顺反子多.利用mfold预测了EoPV 5′端非编码区的二级结构,存在4个茎环结构,有哺乳动物内部核糖体进入位点(IRES)的保守区域,即含保守基序GNRA的茎环A和A/C丰富的环B及多聚嘧啶区域.据此推测EoPV基因组翻译采用IRES起始机制.     

Selection of initiation sites by eucaryotic ribosomes: effect of inserting AUG triplets upstream from the coding sequence for preproinsulin.

Recombinant plasmids that direct synthesis of rat preproinsulin under the direction of the SV40 early promoter have been used to probe the mechanism of initiation of translation. Insertion of an upstream AUG triplet that was out-of-frame with respect to the coding sequence for preproinsulin reduced the yield of proinsulin, in keeping with the predictions of the scanning model. The extent to which an upstream AUG codon interfered depended on sequences surrounding the AUG triplet; with two constructs ( p255 /20 and C2) the 5'-proximal AUG codon constituted an absolute barrier: there was no initiation at the downstream start site for preproinsulin. With two other constructs ( p255 /9, p255 /21), however, proinsulin was made despite the presence of an upstream, out-of-frame AUG codon in a favorable context for initiation. In those cases the reading frame set by the first AUG triplet was short, terminating before the start of the preproinsulin coding sequence. The interpretation that ribosomes initiate at the first AUG, terminate, and then reinitiate at the AUG that directly precedes the preproinsulin coding sequence was tested by introducing a point mutation that eliminated the terminator codon: the resulting mutant made no proinsulin.     

Generation of protein isoform diversity by alternative initiation of translation at non-AUG codons

The use of several translation initiation codons in a single mRNA, by expressing several proteins from a single gene, contributes to the generation of protein diversity. A small, yet growing, number of mammalian mRNAs initiate translation from a non-AUG codon, in addition to initiating at a downstream in-frame AUG codon. Translation initiation on such mRNAs results in the synthesis of proteins harbouring different amino terminal domains potentially conferring on these isoforms distinct functions. Use of non-AUG codons appears to be governed by several features, including the sequence context and the secondary structure surrounding the codon. Selection of the downstream initiation codon can occur by leaky scanning of the 43S ribosomal subunit, internal entry of ribosome or ribosomal shunting. The biological significance of non-AUG alternative initiation is demonstrated by the different subcellular localisations and/or distinct biological functions of the isoforms translated from the single mRNA as illustrated by the two main angiogenic factor genes encoding the fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Consequently, the regulation of alternative initiation of translation might have a crucial role for the biological function of the gene product.     

Translation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae tcm1 gene in the absence of a 5'-untranslated leader.

The role of eukaryotic 5'-untranslated messenger RNA leaders is not entirely clear, since they share little sequence similarity among each other. The importance of the leader in determining the efficiency of translation initiation was addressed here by examining the polyribosome distribution of several leader-deletion alleles of the yeast tcm1 gene (coding for ribosomal protein L3). Shortening of this 22-nucleotide leader, or complete removal of it (the first nucleotide of the mRNA becoming the A of the translation initiation codon AUG) permitted translation, albeit reduced. Further deletion of as few as the first two nucleotides of the initiation codon leads to a substantial reduction in ribosome loading, which is compatible with inefficient initiation at the next downstream, out-of-frame, AUG triplet. A second measure of translation initiation was obtained by assaying qualitatively for the production of biologically active L3 protein using growth-resistance to trichodermin. This experiment indicates that ribosomes can recognize the correct initiation codon even in the complete absence of a leader. We conclude that the 5'-untranslated leader of the yeast tcm1 gene is not essential for accurate translation initiation, but enhances its efficiency.     

AUG_hairpin: prediction of a downstream secondary structure influencing the recognition of a translation start site

Background  

The translation start site plays an important role in the control of translation efficiency of eukaryotic mRNAs. The recognition of the start AUG codon by eukaryotic ribosomes is considered to depend on its nucleotide context. However, the fraction of eukaryotic mRNAs with the start codon in a suboptimal context is relatively large. It may be expected that mRNA should possess some features providing efficient translation, including the proper recognition of a translation start site. It has been experimentally shown that a downstream hairpin located in certain positions with respect to start codon can compensate in part for the suboptimal AUG context and also increases translation from non-AUG initiation codons. Prediction of such a compensatory hairpin may be useful in the evaluation of eukaryotic mRNA translation properties.     

Mechanism of translation of monocistronic and multicistronic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 mRNAs.

We have used a panel of cDNA clones expressing wild-type and mutant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) mRNAs to study translation of these mRNAs in eucaryotic cells. The tat open reading frame (ORF) has a strong signal for translation initiation, while rev and vpu ORFs have weaker signals. The expression of downstream ORFs is inhibited in mRNAs that contain the tat ORF as the first ORF. In contrast, downstream ORFs are expressed efficiently from mRNAs that have rev or vpu as the first ORF. All env mRNAs contain the upstream vpu ORF. Expression of HIV-1 Env protein requires a weak vpu AUG, which allows leaky scanning to occur, thereby allowing ribosomes access to the downstream env ORF. We concluded that HIV-1 mRNAs are translated by the scanning mechanism and that expression of more than one protein from each mRNA was caused by leaky scanning at the first AUG of the mRNA.