DREB转录因子在植物非生物胁迫中的作用及应用研究

转录因子也称反式作用因子,是能够与真核生物基因启动子区域中顺式作用元件发生特异性相互作用的DNA结合蛋白。DREB转录因子作为植物特有的转录因子,通过与DRE调控元件特异结合,能促进许多与低温、高盐和干旱相关基因的表达。本文综述了近年DREB转录因子的研究进展,并对其结构和生物学功能、表达调控和信号传递途径以及DREB基因在改良植物抗逆胁迫中的应用进行了讨论,同时对该领域的发展前景进行了展望。     

病原菌诱导型启动子顺式作用元件及其互作的转录因子

启动子是位于基因5′端上游的一段DNA序列, 负责调控基因的转录。与植物抗病相关基因的启动子区含有能针对病原菌胁迫做出应答的顺式作用元件, 这些顺式作用元件通过与转录因子特异性结合, 进而增强抗病基因的转录表达, 提高植物的抗病性。该文主要综述了病原菌诱导型启动子相关顺式作用元件及与这些元件互作的转录因子, 特别对一类特殊的转录因子--病原菌TAL效应子与植物靶基因启动子之间的相互作用机制进行了阐述, 并对其应用前景进行了展望。     

植物非生物胁迫诱导启动子顺式元件及转录因子研究进展

顺式作用元件(cix-acting element)是与结构基因串联的特定DNA序列,是转录因子的结合位点,它们通过与转录因子结合调控基因转录的精确起始和转录效率,在植物基因表达调控过程中起着重要的作用.非生物胁迫诱导基因的表达受其上游启动子顺式作用元件及转录因子的调控,目前已发现了多种与非生物胁迫相关的顺势作用元件及转录因子,如DRE元件及DREB类转录因子、MYB元件及MYB类转录因子、GT-1元件及GT-1类转录因子等.顺式作用元件及转录因子的研究对研究植物非生物胁迫相关基因的表达调控具有重要意义,综述植物非生物胁迫诱导启动子功能元件及转录因子的研究进展.     

植物DREB转录因子的研究进展及应用

转录因子是一种DNA结合蛋白,通过与真核基因启动子区域中的顺式作用元件发生特异性相互作用来调控基因的转录。DREB(与干旱应答元件结合的)转录因子是一类新发现的植物特有的转录因子,能够特异地识别DRE(干旱应答元件)顺式作用元件并与之发生作用,从而激活植物体内一系列逆境应答基因的表达。本文综述了近几年在DREB转录因子的结构、功能、表达调控以及应用方面的研究进展。     

DRE顺式作用元件dsDNA芯片制备

DRE顺式作用元件能与DREB转录因子特异结合,在诱导逆境（干旱、高盐、低温）基因表达过程中起重要作用。dsDNA（double strand DNA）微阵列芯片技术能够有效地检测序列特异性DNA结合蛋白质（转录因子）与大量DNA靶点（顺式作用元件）的特异性结合,可有效分析生物分子结合作用。根据DRE顺式作用元件核心序列设计并化学合成含发夹结构的单链DNA探针,采用Taq DNA聚合酶在片延伸,并对其在片延伸体系的反应温度、Mg^2＋浓度以及单链探针是否变性等条件进行了优化。结果表明,50％的反应温度,2．5mmol／L的Mg^2＋浓度和单链不变性是TaqDNA聚合酶在片延伸的最佳条件。优化方法制备的dsDNA芯片将更有利于DRE顺式作用元件与DREB抗逆转录因子相互作用的研究。     

GATA—1红系特异性转录调节因子

ＧＡＴＡ－１是一种红系特异性转录调节因子,其结合基序广泛存在于红系特异表达基因的顺式调节元件中;ＧＡＴＡ－１具有锌指结构;能反式激活携带其结合基序的报告基因,在红系细胞分化发育中起重要作用。     

植物逆境抗性相关转录因子的研究进展

植物各种诱导性基因的表达主要受特定转录因子在转录水平的调控.转录因子也称反式作用因子,通过与靶基因启动子中的顺式作用元件结合发挥调节作用.根据与DNA结合的区域不同,转录因子分为若干个家族.本文综述了与植物逆境抗性相关的4个转录因子家族:bZIP类、WRKY类、AP2/EREBP类和MYB类在逆境信号转导中的作用以及它们在植物抗逆基因工程改良中的应用现状.     

用转基因动物研究神经特异性基因表达

神经组织中基因特异性表达的调控是由顺式作用元件和反式作用因子相互作用完成的 ,所以 ,寻找并鉴定这些顺式作用元件就成为这一研究领域中不可缺少的一个环节。利用报告基因在体外培养细胞的瞬时表达实验寻找和鉴定顺式作用元件是广泛应用的重要手段之一 ,但这一方法有其明显的局限性 ,即( 1 )体外培养细胞脱离了整体动物发育和生长环境的调节 ;( 2 )体外构建的可能包含转录调控序列的报告基因表达载体使研究的片段脱离了整个基因组背景 ;( 3)报告基因表达载体在体外培养细胞瞬时表达的研究体系使基因表达脱离了可能作为转录起始开关调节因…     

β—珠蛋白基因簇表达调控的反式作用因子

β－珠蛋白基因簇是研究真核基因表达调控的良好模型,其基因表达具有红系组织特异性和不同发育阶段特异性,这些特异性的产生依赖于组织特异性表达和发育阶段特异性表达的反式作用因子与顺式作用元件间的相互作用。     

肺癌细胞中调控ezrin基因基本转录活性的顺式作用元件及转录因子的鉴定

研究发现,质膜-细胞骨架连接蛋白Ezrin在多种肿瘤细胞中异常表达,而且Ezrin的表达上调与肿瘤细胞的移动侵袭相关,但是调控ezrin基因转录的分子机制却不清楚.为了探明ezrin基因的转录调控机制,以肺癌细胞A549为材料,首先采用双荧光素酶报告基因分析系统检测ezrin基因5′侧翼嵌套缺失序列和位点突变序列的转录活性,鉴定肺癌细胞中ezrin基因的基本启动子区以及关键的顺式作用元件Sp1结合位点(-75/-69)和AP-1结合位点(-64/-58).其次,利用凝胶电泳迁移率变动分析证明,肺癌细胞核蛋白提取物能够与ezrin基因含有关键顺式作用元件的DNA序列结合,形成DNA-核蛋白复合物,而且Sp1结合位点和AP-1结合位点与重组蛋白rhSp1和rhAP-1的结合具有位点特异性.最后,利用瞬时转染实验证实,转录因子Sp1和AP-1(由c-Jun和c-Fos组成的异源二聚体)分别通过Sp1结合位点和AP-1结合位点,增强ezrin基因基本转录活性,而且,过表达转录因子Sp1、c-Jun或c-Fos上调了Ezrin蛋白表达.研究确定,肺癌细胞中调控ezrin基因基本转录活性的关键顺式作用元件是Sp1结合位点(-75/-69)和AP-1结合位点(-64/-58),与之作用的转录因子Sp1和AP-1对于ezrin基因的转录激活作用至关重要.     

Developmental regulatory elements in the 5′ flanking DNA of the Drosophila choline acetyltransferase gene

Summary Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT, EC 2.3.1.6) catalyzes the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and is an essential factor for neurons to be cholinergic. We have analyzed regulation of the Drosophila ChAT gene during development by examining the -galactosidase expression pattern in transformed lines carrying different lengths of 5 flanking DNA fused to a lacZ reporter gene. The largest fragment tested, 7.4 kb, resulted in the most extensive expression pattern in embryonic and larval nervous system and likely reflects all the cis-regulatory elements necessary for ChAT expression. We also found that 5 flanking DNA located between 3.3 kb and 1.2 kb is essential for the reporter gene expression in most of the segmentally arranged embryonic sensory neurons as well as other distinct cells in the CNS. The existence of negative regulatory elements was suggested by the observation that differentiating photoreceptor cells in eye imaginal discs showed the reporter gene expression in several 1.2 kb and 3.3 kb transformants but not in 7.4 kb transformants. Furthermore, we have fused the 5 flanking DNA fragments to a wild type ChAT cDNA and used these constructs to transform Drosophila with a Cha mutant background. Surprisingly, even though different amounts of 5 flanking DNA resulted in different spatial expression patterns, all of the positively expressing cDNA transformed lines were rescued from lethality. Our results suggest that developmental expression of the ChAT gene is regulated both positively and negatively by the combined action of several elements located in the 7.4 kb upstream region, and that the more distal 5 flanking DNA is not necessary for embryonic survival and development to adult flies. Correspondence to: P.M. Salvaterra     

Structure of the mouse glutamate decarboxylase 65 gene and its promoter: preferential expression of its promoter in the GABAergic neurons of transgenic mice

GABA is synthesized by glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), which has two forms, GAD65 and GAD67. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of mouse GAD65 (mGAD65) gene expression, we isolated and characterized the mGAD65 gene. The mGAD65 gene was found to be divided into 16 exons and spread over 75 kb. The sequence of the first exon and the 5'-flanking region indicated the presence of potential neuron-specific cis-regulatory elements. We used transgenic mice to examine the expression pattern conferred by a 9.2-kb promoter-proximal DNA fragment of the mGAD65 gene fused to the bacterial lacZ reporter gene. Transgenic mice showed high beta-galactosidase activity specifically in brain and testis. They also showed characteristic patterns of transgene expression in olfactory bulb, cerebellar cortex, and spinal cord, a similar expression pattern to that of endogenous mGAD65. However, no transgene expression was observed in the ventral thalamus or hypothalamus, in which high mGAD65 gene expression levels have been observed. These results suggest that the 9.2-kb DNA fragment of the mGAD65 gene is associated with its tissue-specific expression and its targeted expression in GABAergic neurons of specific brain regions but that additional regulatory elements are necessary to obtain fully correct expression.     

Coordinated expression of cytoskeleton regulating genes in the accelerated neurite outgrowth of P19 embryonic carcinoma cells

The embryonal carcinoma P19 cells provide a model to study neuronal differentiation. Cells that are exposed to retinoic acid become mature neurons within a few days with a pronounced axonal and dendritic polarity. Notably, an accelerated rate of neurite extension characterizes densely but not sparsely plated cells. DNA microarray experiments show maximal differences in gene expression of the dense compared to sparse plated cultures at 18 h after plating. The differentially expressed genes are enriched by functions of cell adhesion and cytoskeletal regulation. Doublecortin, Lis1, Reelin, Map2 and dozens of proteins that regulate cytoskeleton dynamics increase in concordance with a rapid neurite extension. A brief elevation in intracellular cAMP via PKA is sufficient to instigate the phenotype of accelerated neurite extension with no effect on P19 cell fate. Furthermore, we show that the cAMP dependent changes in the expression of cytoskeleton regulators such as doublecortin are restricted to a short time window prior to the establishment of functional neurons. We propose that the wave of gene expression of cytoskeletal regulators that is accompanied by accelerated neurite extension acts in remodeling young developing neurons in the CNS.