胰岛素受体底物1和2敲低对猪肝脏细胞糖脂代谢的影响

目的：通过shRNA干扰高效敲低猪肝脏细胞中 IRS1和IRS2 基因的表达,进而验证其对于糖脂代谢相关基因表达的影响,为构建2型糖尿病模型猪奠定基础。方法：首先通过重叠PCR方法克隆了猪 IRS1 基因全部的mRNA序列（4 814bp）以及通过3'RACE方法克隆了猪 IRS2 基因的部分3'非编码区（3-untranslated region,3'UTR）。然后,通过Real-time PCR筛选获得了能显著敲低这两个基因的shRNA片段,并在同时敲低 IRS1和IRS2 的猪肝脏细胞中,检测糖脂代谢相关基因的表达。结果：猪肝脏细胞中 IRS1和IRS2 的表达被显著敲低,分别下降了78%和64%。另外,糖异生作用酶磷酸烯醇丙酮酸激酶（phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase,PEPCK）和果糖-1,6-二磷酸酶（fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, F-1,6-BP）基因表达显著上升,并导致催化肝脏中糖酵解反应的葡糖激酶（glucokinase,Gck）基因表达的显著下降。同时,胆固醇调节元件结合蛋白（sterol regulatory element-binding proteins, SREBP-1）基因的表达也显著上升以及胆固醇调节基因 Abcg8,CYP7a1 表达明显上调。结论：猪肝脏细胞中 IRS1和IRS2 基因的敲低可激活糖异生作用,并抑制糖酵解反应,从而导致糖代谢的异常,同时也能引起脂类代谢的异常。     

筛选代表小鼠植入前胚胎紧密化相关基因的EST

分别收集181及241枚昆明白小鼠8细胞早期胚胎及8细胞紧密化胚胎,采用SMART PCR方法直接合成胚胎双链cDNA.进而运用抑制消减杂交技术(SSH)对8细胞早期胚胎及8细胞紧密化胚胎的基因表达进行研究,并将所获得的差异表达产物按片段大小分段分离纯化后克隆入pUCm-T载体中,经PCR鉴定后挑选阳性克隆进行测序,筛选出27个代表8细胞早期胚胎和紧密化8细胞胚胎差别表达基因的cDNA片段;经与GenBank中收录的序列进行同源性匹配分析,证实其中17个eDNA片段为新的EST,提交GenBank后被接受并给予了新序列编号.这1 7个片段均可能为与紧密化密切相关的新基因的表达片段,为今后进一步克隆新的紧密化相关基因的全长cDNA及后续新基因的结构和功能研究打下基础.通过采用不同长度大小片段分别克隆的方法,可获得较长片段的EST,避免差异表达大片段的丢失.     

猪sall4b基因的克隆及表达分析

sall4基因是sall基因家族的一个成员,在胚胎发育、器官形成和干细胞多能性的维持以及重建中都起到重要作用,有sall4a和sall4b两种剪切突变体类型。目前猪的sall4基因序列尚未获得。鉴于其在多能性细胞调控中的作用,对猪的sall4基因进行了克隆测序,并对其在各组织及胚胎中的表达进行了初步研究。通过5和3 RACE克隆得到猪sall4基因cDNA全长序列(2 372 bp),序列分析证明此基因编码的蛋白结构更接近于小鼠和人Sall4B亚型,同源性可达70%～80%,而与其他物种的Sall4A相比则缺少一段含锌指结构域的片段,同源性降至30%～55%。Real-time PCR证明猪sall4b基因广泛表达于猪的各种器官,其中除卵巢组织呈高量表达之外,脾、肺、心和睾丸表达量也相对较高;在早期胚胎发育过程中除4-细胞阶段相对表达量较低,其他阶段呈高量表达。免疫荧光跟踪Sall4在猪早期胚胎中的表达情况发现Sall4在着床前胚胎中全程表达并定位于细胞核中,在囊胚阶段基因表达趋向于定位在内细胞团中。表达分析证明sall4b基因与多能性紧密相关,预示着猪sall4b基因将可能作为新的重编程因子用于诱导猪多能干细胞的体系中。     

Smad4基因siRNA表达载体的构建与鉴定

目的:以Smad4基因为靶标构建小干扰RNA(siRNA)真核表达载体.方法:根据GenBank公布的人Smad4核酸序列及SiRNA设计原则,用AmbionRNAi在线软件,筛选得到2个19 bp片段为靶序列,合成两端带有Bam H Ⅰ、HindⅢ酶切位点的发夹结构寡核苷酸序列,经过退火,将此序列克隆到真核表达质粒pSilencerTM3.1-H1 neo vector中,构建成重组质粒,酶切及测序验证.脂质体介导转染人原代增生性瘢痕成纤维细胞,经G418筛选细胞克隆,并用RT-PCR检测Smad4基因的表达.结果:成功构建了pSilencerTM3.1.H1 neo-Smad4 shRNA表达载体克隆,插入片段测序结果与合成的siRNA序列一致.RT-PCR结果显示转染shRNA1、shRNA2重组质粒的成纤维细胞内Smad4 mRNA水平均降低,其中以pSilencerTM3.1-H1-Smad4 shRNA1更为明显(P＜0.01).结论:构建P-Smad4 shRNA袁达载体成功,为进一步研究Smad4基因的RNA干扰奠定了基础.     

上皮组织特异性表达N-LMP1和CR2转基因猪胚胎成纤维细胞的构建与鉴定

目的 构建上皮组织特异性表达鼻咽癌来源潜伏膜蛋白1（N-LMP1）和人补体受体2（CR2）真核表达载体,转染猪胚胎成纤维细胞并筛选整合有N-LMP1和CR2基因的细胞克隆,为构建与EBV感染相关的猪鼻咽癌模型奠定基础.方法 通过直接合成ED-L2启动子和N-LMP1,从人B淋巴细胞中的RNA经RT-PCR扩增出CR2,将上述3个片段逐个连接到真核表达载体pN1上,构建上皮组织特异性表达N-LMP1和CR2的载体pN1-ED-L2-N-LMP1-CR2;用脂质体转染猪胚胎成纤维细胞,经药物G418 筛选和PCR鉴定阳性克隆.结果 成功构建上皮组织特异性表达N-LMP1和CR2的真核表达载体pN1-ED-L2-N-LMP1-CR2,并成功整合到猪胚胎成纤维细胞的基因组中,获得了整合有目的 基因N-LMP1和CR2的猪胚胎成纤维细胞克隆.结论 获得了上皮组织特异性表达N-LMP1和CR2 的猪胚胎成纤维细胞克隆,为通过细胞核移植方法获得表达N-LMP1和CR2转基因猪提供了供体细胞.     

大鼠Pael -R基因shRNA干扰载体的构建及功能筛选鉴定

目的:构建并筛选针对大鼠Pael -R基因的有效shRNA干扰载体并鉴定其干扰效果.方法:构建三个针对大鼠Pael-R基因的shRNA表达载体,利用脂质体转染大鼠肾上腺嗜铬细胞瘤细胞PC12,以G418筛选抗性细胞克隆并利用RT-PCR和Western Blotting鉴定Pael -R基因的表达.结果:在构建的3个干扰载体中,转染pRNA-U6/PaelR -3的细胞克隆中Pael -R表达在mRNA水平为29％,与对照组相比下降了45.3％,在蛋白质水平为32％,下降了27.3％ (P＜0.05).结论:构建了Pael -R基因的有效干扰载体pRNA-U6/PaelR -3,并得到了Pael -R基因表达下调型PC12细胞克隆,为研究Pael -R基因表达下调在帕金森病的发病机制及其治疗中的作用奠定了基础.     

β2-肾上腺素能受体基因的克隆及序列分析

目的:克隆β2-肾上腺素能受体(β2-AR)全长基因片段.方法:根据GenBank中收录的猪β2-AR cDNA序列设计一对引物,以猪肝脏组织总RNA为模板,利用RT-PCR技术扩增目的基因,将其与pUC18载体体外连接,转化感受态大肠杆菌E.coil DH5α,筛选阳性克隆.结果:扩增出一条1257 bp的目的基因片段,该片段编码418个氨基酸.与CenBank中收录的猪β2-AR序列比对,其同源性为99.52%,编码的氨基酸有99.04%相同.结论:成功获得了β2-AR全长基因片段,为该基因的表达和受体筛药模型的建立奠定基础.     

人血清白蛋白基因的打靶研究

为获得整合有人血清白蛋白(HSA)基因的猪胎儿成纤维细胞克隆,从猪基因组文库中杂交筛选得到猪血清白蛋白(PSA)基因全序列35kb并克隆了人血清白蛋白cDNA序列,扩增猪血清白蛋白基因5′调控序列7.2kb片段及第一内含子至第四内含子2.8kb的片段;构建了含有neo及tk正负筛选标记基因的人血清白蛋白基因打靶载体,并验证了neo基因的有效性。将线性化的打靶载体通过电击转染的方法整合到猪胎儿成纤维细胞基因组中,利用G418及GANC进行细胞克隆的抗药性筛选,PCR及Southern blot鉴定抗药性细胞克隆,最终获得3个发生同源重组的细胞克隆。这为下一步进行体细胞核移植制备生产人血清白蛋白转基因猪奠定了基础。     

兔移核重构胚再程序化相关基因片段的分离与鉴定

用单个植入前胚胎mRNA差别显示方法（Single Preimplantation Embryonic mRNA Differential Display Reverse Polymerase Reaction,SPEDDRTPCR）,以家兔移核重构发育至2细胞、8细胞时期的胚胎及囊胚作为起始材料。研究家兔移核重构胚再程序化相关基因的表达。获得了25个与再程序化相关的基因片段,完成了对所有片段的克隆、序列分析,其中5个反向Northern证实的片段在从MⅡ到囊胚的发育阶段中呈现特异性表达的特点。这项研究为再程序化相关基因全长的分离以及功能研究奠定了良好的基础。     

兔胚胎时期特异性基因相关新片段的克隆

阶段特异性基因的表达是早期胚胎发育过程中的重要事件,对植入前胚胎基因表达模式的研究是进一步研究植入前胚胎发育调控机制的前提。本实验利用mRNA差异显示技术来研究兔(Oryctolagus cuniculus domestica)植入前各期胚胎的基因表达差异。在获得的42个阳性阶段特异性表达的基因中,有5个在NCBI和EMBL数据库中没有同源序列,登录EMBL,申请了登录号。这些新基因片段都是桑葚期特异表达的基因,而且在以后的囊胚期也有表达。兔由母源型调控向合子型调控的过渡是在8～16细胞期开始的,在桑葚期开始表达的这些基因片段应该是兔胚胎时期特异性基因。这些基因的克隆将为进一步研究兔的植入前胚胎发育模式奠定基础。     

Systemic VHL gene functions and the VHL disease

The von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor gene (VHL) is best known as an E3 ubiquitin ligase that negatively regulates the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF). VHL mutations are the genetic defects underlying several human diseases including polycythemia, familial VHL tumor syndrome and sporadic renal cell carcinoma. VHL mutations can lead to cell-autonomous phenotypes in the tumor cells. However, non-tumor cell-autonomous functions of VHL have also been noted. VHL tumor-derived cytokines can promote inflammation and induce mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells. Up-regulation of HIF caused by VHL loss-of-function mutants, including heterozygotes, has been shown to increase the activities of hematopoietic stem cells, endothelial cells and myeloid cells. As such, systemic functions of VHL likely play important roles in the development of VHL disease.     

Von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL): a need for a murine model with retinal hemangioblastoma

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is a highly penetrant autosomal dominant systemic malignancy that gives rise to cystic and highly vascularized tumors in a constellation of organs. Patients with VHL disease commonly present with hemangioblastomas in the central nervous system and the eye while other manifestations include pheochromocytoma, clear cell renal cell carcinoma, endolymphatic sac tumors of the middle ear, pancreatic cystadenomas, epididymal and broad ligament cystadenomas. Animal models inactivating the VHL gene product in various organ tissues have been constructed over the past 15 years to parse its HIF-associated mechanisms and its link to tumorigenesis. These models, despite advancing our understanding the molecular role of VHL, are by and large unable to recapitulate the more common features of human VHL disease. Up to date, no model exists that develop retinal hemangioblastomas, the most common clinical manifestation. The purpose of this review is: (1) to discuss the need for an ocular VHL model, (2) to review the animal models that recapitulate clinical VHL disease and (3) to propose potential mechanisms of tumorigenesis for the development of ocular VHL.     

Inactivation of the VHL gene in sporadic clear cell renal cancer

Renal cell carcinoma is the most common variant of the kidney cancer, which accounts approximately 75% patients with this disease. The majority of those tumors are characterized by inactivation of the VHL gene suppressor as a result of mutations, allelic deletions and/or methylation. We have conducted the complex molecular-genetic analysis of 64 samples obtained from patients with the clear cell renal cancer. VHL mutations were detected by single strand conformation polymorphism and subsequent sequencing, loss of heterozygosity was analyzed using two STR-markers, methylation was tested by methylsensitive polymerase chain reaction. All revealed variations were statistically analyzed in respect to the parameters of primary tumors in various groups of patients. Seventeen VHL somatic mutations were detected, 12 from which were described for the first time. Allelic deletions of VHL were found in 31.6%, and methylation--in 7.8% samples of the renal cancer. As a whole, VHL inactivating events were presented in 46.9% cases of disease, in 51.7% -among renal cancer patients with first stage. We have not observed any association of mutations, loss of heterozygosity and methylation with clinical-pathological parameters of disease. Results of this investigation specify for expediency of further studies of molecular genetics aberrations in the VHL gene. Perhaps, it would promote renal cancer molecular markers evaluation, for example, a determination of suppressor genes methylated in renal cancer.     

Comparative sequence analysis of the VHL tumor suppressor gene

Comparative genome analysis may provide novel insights into gene evolution and function. To investigate the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease tumor suppressor gene, we sequenced the VHL gene in seven primate species. Comparative analysis was performed for human, primate, and rodent VHL genes and for a putative Caenorhabditis elegans VHL homologue identified by database analysis. The VHL gene has two translation initiation sites (at codons 1 and 54); however, the relative importance of the full-length translation product (pVHL30) and that translated from the second internal translation initiation site (pVHL19) is unclear. The N-terminal sequence of pVHL30 contains eight copies of a GXEEX acidic repeat motif in human and higher primates, but only three copies were present in the marmoset, and only one copy was present in rodent VHL genes. Evolutionary analysis suggested that the N-terminal repetitive sequence in pVHL30 was of less functional importance than those regions present in both pVHL30 and pVHL19. The VHL gene product is reported to form complexes with various proteins including elongin B, elongin C, VBP-1, fibronectin, Spl, CUL2, and HIF-1. Although most of the regions in pVHL that had been implicated in binding specific proteins demonstrated evolutionary conservation, the carboxy-terminal putative VBP-1 binding site was less well conserved, suggesting that VBP-1 binding may have less functional significance. Although an amino acid substitution (K171T) close to the pVHL elongin binding region was found in baboon, analysis of the structure of human pVHL suggested that this substitution would not interfere with pVHL/elongin C interaction. In general, there was a good correlation between the pVHL domains that demonstrated most evolutionary conservation and those that were most frequently mutated in tumors. Analysis of human/C. elegans conservation and human germline and somatic mutation patterns identified a highly conserved mutation cluster region between codons 74 and 90. However, this region is likely to be important for the structural integrity of pVHL rather than representing an additional protein binding domain.     

人VHL基因真核表达载体的构建及其对肿瘤细胞生长的抑制

目的:构建人抑癌基因VHL的真核表达载体,并验证其对肿瘤细胞生长的影响。方法:采用PCR技术从人乳腺文库中扩增人VHL基因,将其克隆到p XJ-40-myc载体中,酶切和测序验证后转染人胚肾293T细胞,通过蛋白免疫印迹鉴定其表达;转染人乳腺癌ZR75-1细胞和肝癌Hep G2细胞,通过CCK8法测定细胞生长曲线。结果:从人乳腺文库中扩增得到约650 bp的DNA片段,并克隆至p XJ-40-myc载体上,且测序与目的序列完全一致;转染人胚肾293T细胞后,蛋白免疫印迹检测到相对分子质量为26×103的目的基因表达产物;细胞生长曲线显示,转染myc-VHL的乳腺癌、肝癌细胞较空载体细胞生长慢。结论:构建了myc-VHL真核表达载体,myc-VHL抑制癌细胞生长,为进一步研究VHL在肿瘤发生发展中的功能奠定了基础。     

Expression of the Von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor gene,VHL, in human fetal kidney and during mouse embryogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is a familial cancer syndrome that has a dominant inherited pattern which predisposes affected individuals to a variety of tumours. The most frequent tumors are hemangioblastomas of the central nervous system and retina, renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and pheochromocytoma. The recent identification and characterization of the VHL gene on human chromosome 3p and mutational analyses confirms the VHL gene functions as a classical tumor suppressor. Not only are mutations in this gene responsible for the VHL syndrome, but mutations are also very frequent in sporadic RCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: VHL expression in human kidney and during embryogenesis, was analyzed by in situ mRNA hybridization with 35S-labeled antisense VHL probes, derived from human and mouse cDNAs, on cryosections of human fetal kidney and paraffin sections of murine embryos. RESULTS: In human fetal kidney, there was enhanced expression of VHL within the epithelial lining of the proximal tubules. During embryogenesis, VHL expression was ubiquitous in all three germ cell layers and their derivatives. Expression occurred in the cerebral cortex, midbrain, cerebellum, retina, spinal cord, and postganglionic cell bodies. All organs of the thoracic and abdominal cavities expressed VHL, but enhanced expression was most apparent in the epithelial components of the lung, kidney, and eye. CONCLUSIONS: In human fetal kidney, the enhanced epithelial expression of the VHL gene is consistent with the role of this gene in RCC. There is widespread expression of the VHL gene during embryogenesis, but this is pronounced in areas associated with VHL phenotypes. These findings provide a histological framework for investigating the physiological role of the VHL gene and as basis for further mutational analysis.     

Genotype-phenotype correlations in families with deletions in the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is a hereditary tumor syndrome characterized by predisposition for bilateral and multi-centric hemangioblastoma in the retina and central nervous system, pheochromocytoma, renal cell carcinoma, and cysts in the kidney, pancreas, and epididymis. We describe five families for which direct sequencing of the coding region of the VHL gene had failed to identify the family-specific mutation. Further molecular analysis revealed deletions involving the VHL gene in each of these families. In four families, partial deletions of one or more exons were detected by Southern blot analysis. In the fifth family, FISH analysis demonstrated the deletion of the entire VHL gene. Our results show that (quantitative) Southern blot analysis is a sensitive method for detecting germline deletions of the VHL gene and should be implemented in routine DNA diagnosis for VHL disease. Our data support the previously established observation that families with a germline deletion have a low risk for pheochromocytoma. Further unraveling of genotype-phenotype correlations in VHL disease has revealed that families with a full or partial deletion of the VHL gene exhibit a phenotype with a preponderance of central nervous system hemangioblastoma.     

Somatic inactivation of the VHL gene in Von Hippel-Lindau disease tumors.

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is a dominantly inherited disorder predisposing to retinal and CNS hemangioblastomas, renal cell carcinoma (RCC), pheochromocytoma, and pancreatic tumors. Interfamilial differences in predisposition to pheochromocytoma reflect allelic heterogeneity such that there is a strong association between missense mutations and risk of pheochromocytoma. We investigated the mechanism of tumorigenesis in VHL disease tumors to determine whether there were differences between tumor types or classes of germ-line mutations. Fifty-three tumors (30 RCCs, 15 hemangioblastomas, 5 pheochromocytomas, and 3 pancreatic tumors) from 33 patients (27 kindreds) with VHL disease were analyzed. Overall, 51% of 45 informative tumors showed loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at the VHL locus. In 11 cases it was possible to distinguish between loss of the wild-type and mutant alleles, and in each case the wild-type allele was lost. LOH was detected in all tumor types and occurred in the presence of both germ-line missense mutations and other types of germline mutation associated with a low risk of pheochromocytoma. Intragenic somatic mutations were detected in three tumors (all hemangioblastomas) and in two of these could be shown to occur in the wild-type allele. This provides the first example of homozygous inactivation of the VHL by small intragenic mutations in this type of tumor. Hypermethylation of the VHL gene was detected in 33% (6/18) of tumors without LOH, including 2 RCCs and 4 hemangioblastomas. Although hypermethylation of the VHL gene has been reported previously in nonfamilial RCC and although methylation of tumor-suppressor genes has been implicated in the pathogenesis of other sporadic cancers, this is the first report of somatic methylation in a familial cancer syndrome.     

Proteomic dissection of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) interactome

The von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene encodes a component of a ubiquitin ligase complex containing elongin B, elongin C, cullin 2, and Rbx1, which acts as a negative regulator of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF). VHL ubiquitinates and degrades the alpha subunits of HIF, and this is proposed to suppress tumorigenesis and tumor angiogenesis. Several lines of evidence also suggest important roles for HIF-independent VHL functions in the maintenance of primary cilium, extracellular matrix formation, and tumor suppression. We undertook a series of proteomic analyses to gain a comprehensive picture of the VHL-interacting proteins. We found that the ARF tumor suppressor interacts with VHL30, a longer VHL isoform, but not with VHL19, a shorter VHL isoform. ARF was found to release VHL30 from the E3 ligase complex, promoting the binding of VHL30 to a protein arginine methyltransferase, PRMT3. Our analysis of the VHL19 interactome also uncovered that VHL19 displays an affinity to collagens and their biosynthesis enzymes.     

Mutations in the VHL tumor suppressor gene and associated lesions in families with von Hippel-Lindau disease from central Europe

von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is a dominantly inherited familial cancer syndrome predisposing to retinal, cerebellar and spinal hemangioblastoma, renal cell carcinoma (RCC), pheochromocytoma and pancreatic tumors. Clinically two types of the disease can be distinguished: VHL type 1 (without pheochromocytoma) and VHL type 2 (with pheochromocytoma). We report VHL germline mutations and trends in phenotypic variation in families from central Europe. We identified 28 mutations in 53/65 (81.5%) families with 18 (64%) mutations being unique to this population. Whereas types and distribution of mutations as well as a strong correlation of missense mutations with the VHL 2 phenotype were similar to those identified in other populations, these families have provided new insights into the molecular basis for variability in the VHL 2 phenotype. Seven different missense mutations in exons 1 and 3 varied in their biological consequences from a minimal VHL 2 phenotype with pheochromocytoma only to a full VHL 2 phenotype with RCC and pancreatic lesion. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of VHL disease and its phenotypic variability. Further, we have provided rapid VHL screening for the families in central Europe, which has resulted in improved diagnosis and clinical management. Received: 10 November 1995 / Revised: 1 March 1996