真核基因启动子非依赖的功能转录延伸复合物的体外组装

真核生物RNA聚合酶Ⅱ的持续合成能力对基因转录过程中每一个阶段,包括启动子脱离、转录暂停、转录终止以及转录偶联DNA损伤修复过程的调节至关重要.在RNA聚合酶Ⅱ介导的转录延伸过程中,其和模板DNA及转录产物RNA紧密结合,形成一个非常稳定的延伸三维复合物(elongationcomplex,EC).此特征性“泡”状结构的形成是RNA聚合酶Ⅱ持续合成能力所必需的.在不依赖启动子及众多转录起始因子的条件下,利用人工合成的RNA与DNA寡核苷酸,在体外组装形成具有功能转录活性的延伸复合物.结果表明,长度为9个核苷酸的RNA与模板DNA形成的杂合分子对转录延伸复合物的形成是必需的,而非转录模板DNA链的加入导致最终活性转录“泡”状复合物的形成,并可转录形成与模板相关的转录产物,进一步通过在模板DNA的特定位置引入一个乙酰氧乙酰氨基芴修饰基团,可特异性地阻断转录延伸过程,从而显示该系统在研究真核基因转录及转录偶联DNA损伤修复机制中的潜在应用价值.     

RNA病毒基因组和转录复制多样性的分子基础

自然界中RNA病毒的种类和数量比DNA病毒多得多,根据基因组类型,RNA病毒可分为多种类型,许多研究者认为,存在于古细菌Myxobacteria中,仅仅有一个逆转录酶基因的反转子（Retron)可能是所有病毒的祖先,进化的模式如下,反转子→反座子→反转录转座子→反转录病毒→副反转录病毒→DNA病毒,RNA病毒转录。／复制在很多特征上与DNA病毒迥然不同,依赖于RNA的RNA聚合酶是RNA病转录／复制的主要催化剂,RNA病毒基因组转录和复制都从3'端poly(A)或类tRNA结构或其他结构起始,内部终止是转录,通读到5'末端终止是复制,RNA病毒的模板有正链病毒（RNA模板,负链病毒RNA模板和全长正负链反基因组RNA模板,RNA模板的选择调控机制非常复杂,目前知之甚少,选择模板,RNA聚合酶与转录因子结合形成复制体是两种主要的调控方法,另外,5'UTR和3'UTR也可以调控RNA病毒的转录。     

玉米S型CMS线粒体DNA R区双向转录模式及其与不育相关性

玉米(Zea mays L.)S型CMS胞质育性基因被认为与其线粒体DNA高频重组R区相关.R区含orf355和orf77两个开放阅读框,其中orf77被认为是重要的胞质候选基因.RT-PCR分析发现R区为双链转录.其中一条为orf77-orf355的模板链,它的转录受植株核育性基因及生长发育时期的影响,在S(rf3rf3)(不育)基因型材料的黄化苗、S(Rf3-)(恢复)基因型材料的黄化苗及雄穗中,RT-PCR检测到这条模板链上R区的转录本完全相同,但S(rf3rf3)(不育)基因型材料雄穗的转录本则与上述三者不同,其转录本在5'端缩短了近238 b的长度.R区的另一模板链与coxⅠ或coxⅡ基因的模板链毗连,转录方向相同,这条链的转录不受核基因型和生长发育时期的影响,不育和恢复基因型材料的黄化苗及雄穗中的转录本完全相同.将orf77进行体外表达,制备抗体后对线粒体蛋白质进行Western杂交分析,未能检测到R区中ORF77蛋白质或多肽.推测orf77无翻译产物而且这可能与R区的双链转录有关.RT-PCR及Western分析结果表明玉米CMS-S可能与R区5'端DNA的转录调控相关.     

mic RNA基因调控原理及应用

1.何谓mic RNA micRNA是英文mRNA Interfering Complementary RNA的缩写。我们知道,基因的转录与DNA复制的一个重要不同之处是:当DNA转录时,只以一条链作为模板来合成mRNA,这条DNA链被称为“有义链”     

关于DNA复制的引物和DNA聚合酶

DNA复制是由DNA聚合酶催化的,反应需要四种脱氧核苷三磷酸和引物-模板;在引物的3′-羟基上,按模板的指令逐个添加脱氧核苷酸,生成碱基序列与模板互补的新DNA。复制时,DNA双链先打开,形成复制叉,随着复制叉的移动完成复制过程。双链DNA的复制是半不连续的,即先导链是连续合成滞后链则为不连续合成;后者先生成若干短片段(冈崎片段),再连在一起。 DNA复制在基因组的加倍、DNA重组以及修复DNA所受损伤等方面都对生命有决定性的作用。     

细菌中RNase HI介导RNA降解的研究进展

在细菌细胞中,为了维持基因组稳定和正常的生命活动,RNase HI通常以降解RNA/DNA杂合链中RNA的方式来防止复制中引物的积累以及转录中R环的形成。RNase HI对底物的识别主要依赖于DNA与RNA结合槽,对底物的催化主要依赖于DEDD基序和位于活性位点附近柔性环中的一个组氨酸。以Mg²⁺为代表的金属离子在催化过程中发挥了至关重要的作用。杂交双链中ssDNA突出部分的类型决定了RNase HI的作用模式：在没有突出或在ssDNA的5′端存在突出部分的情况下,RNase HI作为一种非序列特异性核酸内切酶随机地降解RNA;当ssDNA的3′端存在突出部分时,RNase HI依靠5′核酸外切酶活性对RNA进行连续切割。RNase HI、Rep、DinG和UvrD通过与单链DNA结合蛋白(single-stranded DNA-binding protein, SSB)的C端尾部的6个残基相互作用被招募到复制叉附近,并可能以协作的方式解决复制-转录冲突。RNase HI的缺失或活性降低将引起DNA结构不稳定、基因突变、转录装置回溯和复制不协调等一系列有害后果。RNase HI在反义技术、R环检测和联合抗生素的靶向治疗等方面展现出巨大的应用价值。关于RNase HI与其他酶降解引物的合作机制也是未来值得研究的一个内容。     

人类神经退行性疾病相关的三核苷酸重复DNA序列不稳定性机制研究进展

三核苷酸重复DNA序列扩增或缺失不稳定性与50多种人类神经退行性疾病有关。与疾病相关的三核苷酸重复拷贝数的增加或减少,影响了特定基因的表达,或因之产生具有细胞毒性的RNA和蛋白质已成为相关疾病的共有病理机制。现有的研究表明,疾病相关的三核苷酸重复拷贝数的改变有可能起因于相关三核苷酸重复DNA序列的异常DNA复制、修复、重组以及基因转录。有关人类遗传学研究也提示,发生在疾病相关的三核苷酸重复DNA部位的异常DNA复制、修复、重组或基因转录确有可能在三核苷酸重复DNA不稳定过程中发挥着关键作用。本文根据本课题组的研究经验,综述了近年来有关疾病相关三核苷酸重复不稳定性机制的研究进展,包括碱基突变不稳定、重复单元的扩增和缺失不稳定,以助更好地理解疾病相关三核苷酸重复DNA序列不稳定性的分子机制。     

从DNA修复机理看细胞癌变的发生机制

DNA损伤是引起基因突变,导致细胞恶性转化的重要原因．DNA损伤的修复过程非常复杂,是与细胞周期调节、DNA复制和DNA转录等生命活动紧密相连的．首先DNA修复需要细胞周期停滞,避免DNA损伤进入子代细胞．其次,参与DNA转录的某些基因产物参与DNA损伤的识别,有利于转录链的优先修复．最后,DNA修复系统NER、MMR参与损伤修复．上述DNA修复过程任何环节的异常,都将造成DNA修复功能减弱,导致某些功能基因突变,从而导致细胞的恶性转化．     

R-loop的调控及其生理功能

R环（R-loop）是一种DNA∶RNA杂合链（DNA∶RNA hybrids）,由一条RNA单链侵入双链DNA,与其中一条DNA模板链结合,从而释放出一条DNA单链而产生。R-loop在细胞生命活动中扮演着重要角色,与基因组稳定性、转录调控,以及表观修饰等重要生物学过程有着密不可分的关系。很多因素参与对R-loop的调控,例如RNA转录和加工、染色体的修饰、DNA损伤反应等;同时,许多酶蛋白,如核糖核酸酶、解旋酶和拓扑异构酶等也参与调节细胞内的R-loop水平。了解R-loop的调控机制及其生物学功能有助于更好地理解基因组稳定性的维持机制,为治疗骨髓增生异常综合征、白血病、乳腺癌、前列腺癌等疾病开拓新思路。     

用S1核酸酶方法测定αAC—616晶体蛋白基因转录起始点

采用BRL提供的HeLa细胞裂解物,已知该裂解物中含有RNA聚合酶Ⅱ和其他基因转录所必需的因子和成分。当αAC-616晶体蛋白基因在该体系中发生转录产生mRNA后,即与用~(32)P标记的αAC-616晶体蛋白基因探针进行分子杂交,杂交后加入S_1核酸酶消化去掉未配对的αAC-616DNA单链,保留杂交形成的RNA-DNA双链杂交体。作含脲素的聚丙酰胺凝胶电泳,用φ_x174HeaⅢDNA作分子标准参照物,结果表明转录出来的mRNA与276个脱氧核糖核苷酸形成互补杂交链,比5′-末端标记的~(32)P-晶体蛋白基因探针为短。据此在已知的晶体蛋白基因顺序图谱上判定出αAC-616晶体蛋白基因的转录起始点位于该图谱的第398位核苷酸Adenosine,距TATA盒下游第79位(A)。并对晶体蛋白基因转录的特性进行了讨论。     

Topoisomerase II Regulates the Maintenance of DNA Methylation

The maintenance of DNA methylation in nascent DNA is a critical event for numerous biological processes. Following DNA replication, DNMT1 is the key enzyme that strictly copies the methylation pattern from the parental strand to the nascent DNA. However, the mechanism underlying this highly specific event is not thoroughly understood. In this study, we identified topoisomerase IIα (TopoIIα) as a novel regulator of the maintenance DNA methylation. UHRF1, a protein important for global DNA methylation, interacts with TopoIIα and regulates its localization to hemimethylated DNA. TopoIIα decatenates the hemimethylated DNA following replication, which might facilitate the methylation of the nascent strand by DNMT1. Inhibiting this activity impairs DNA methylation at multiple genomic loci. We have uncovered a novel mechanism during the maintenance of DNA methylation.     

Loss of mitochondrial DNA under genotoxic stress conditions in the absence of the yeast DNA helicase Pif1p occurs independently of the DNA helicase Rrm3p

How the cellular amount of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is regulated under normal conditions and in the presence of genotoxic stress is less understood. We demonstrate that the inefficient mtDNA replication process of mutant yeast cells lacking the PIF1 DNA helicase is partly rescued in the absence of the DNA helicase RRM3. The rescue effect is likely due to the increase in the deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) pool caused by the lack of RRM3. In contrast, the Pif1p-dependent mtDNA breakage in the presence and absence of genotoxic stress is not suppressed if RRM3 is lacking suggesting that this phenotype is likely independent of the dNTP pool. Pif1 protein (Pif1p) was found to stimulate the incorporation of dNTPs into newly synthesised mtDNA of gradient-purified mitochondria. We propose that Pif1p that acts likely as a DNA helicase in mitochondria affects mtDNA replication directly. Possible roles of Pif1p include the resolution of secondary DNA and/or DNA/RNA structures, the temporarily displacement of tightly bound mtDNA-binding proteins, or the stabilization of the mitochondrial replication complex during mtDNA replication. X. Cheng, Y. Qin contributed equally to this work.     

Contribution of the intrinsic curvature to measured DNA persistence length

The persistence length of DNA, a, depends both on the intrinsic curvature of the double helix and on the thermal fluctuations of the angles between adjacent base-pairs. We have evaluated two contributions to the value of a by comparing measured values of a for DNA containing a generic sequence and for an "intrinsically straight" DNA. In each 10 bp segment of the intrinsically straight DNA an initial sequence of five bases is repeated in the sequence of the second five bases, so any bends in the first half of the segment are compensated by bends in the opposite direction in the second half. The value of a for the latter DNA depends, to a good approximation, on thermal fluctuations only; there is no intrinsic curvature. The values of a were obtained from measurements of the cyclization efficiency for short DNA fragments, about 200 bp in length. This method determines the persistence length of DNA with exceptional accuracy, due to the very strong dependence of the cyclization efficiency of short fragments on the value of a. We find that the values of a for the two types of DNA fragment are very close and conclude that the contribution of the intrinsic curvature to a is at least 20 times smaller than the contribution of thermal fluctuations. The relationship between this result and the angles between adjacent base-pairs, which specify the intrinsic curvature, is analyzed.     

Evaluating the effects of enhanced processivity and metal ions on translesion DNA replication catalyzed by the bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase

The fidelity of DNA replication is achieved in a multiplicative process encompassing nucleobase selection and insertion, removal of misinserted nucleotides by exonuclease activity, and enzyme dissociation from primer/templates that are misaligned due to mispairing. In this study, we have evaluated the effect of altering these kinetic processes on the dynamics of translesion DNA replication using the bacteriophage T4 replication apparatus as a model system. The effect of enhancing the processivity of the T4 DNA polymerase, gp43, on translesion DNA replication was evaluated using a defined in vitro assay system. While the T4 replicase (gp43 in complex with gp45) can perform efficient, processive replication using unmodified DNA, the T4 replicase cannot extend beyond an abasic site. This indicates that enhancing the processivity of gp43 does not increase unambiguously its ability to perform translesion DNA replication. Surprisingly, the replicase composed of an exonuclease-deficient mutant of gp43 was unable to extend beyond the abasic DNA lesion, thus indicating that molecular processes involved in DNA polymerization activity play the predominant role in preventing extension beyond the non-coding DNA lesion. Although neither T4 replicase complex could extend beyond the lesion, there were measurable differences in the stability of each complex at the DNA lesion. Specifically, the exonuclease-deficient replicase dissociates at a rate constant, k(off), of 1.1s(-1) while the wild-type replicase remains more stably associated at the site of DNA damage by virtue of a slower measured rate constant (k(off) 0.009s(-1)). The increased lifetime of the wild-type replicase suggests that idle turnover, the partitioning of the replicase from its polymerase to its exonuclease active site, may play an important role in maintaining fidelity. Further attempts to perturb the fidelity of the T4 replicase by substituting Mn(2+) for Mg(2+) did not significantly enhance DNA synthesis beyond the abasic DNA lesion. The results of these studies are interpreted with respect to current structural information of gp43 alone and complexed with gp45.     

DNA-蛋白质相互作用研究的方法及其新进展

DNA与蛋白质的相互作用参与生命体内的许多生物学过程,关于二者相互作用的研究是人们了解基因表达机制、揭开生命奥秘的关键所在.该文简要阐述了传统研究DNA-蛋白质相互作用的常用方法及其优缺点,并综述了近年来该领域所采用的新技术及其新进展.     

A procedure for large-scale isolation of RNA-free plasmid and phage DNA without the use of RNase

A preparative procedure for the large-scale isolation of plasmid DNA without the use of RNAse is described. Crude plasmid DNA is prepared using a standard boiling method. High-molecular-weight RNA is removed by precipitation with LiCl, and low-molecular-weight RNA is removed by sedimentation through high-salt solution. The procedure is inexpensive, rapid, simple, and particularly suitable for processing several large-scale preparations simultaneously. A similar procedure has been developed for preparation of lambda-phage DNA.