RHD mRNA替代剪接区域研究

目的2007年国内报道一例弱D型个体存在第4—9外显子选择性剪接的转录子,我们探讨正常Rh（D）阳性个体的RHD基因mRNA的选择性剪接区域。方法随机选择3名Rh（D）阳性个体,从新鲜全血中提取总RNA,通过特异性引物,采用“一步法”逆转录-PCR（1iT—PCR）,扩增RHDmRNA第1～7外显子区域,以及第6-10外显子区域,然后cDNA琼脂糖凝胶电泳和成像分析。结果未发现第1～7外显子区域存在mRNA的选择性剪接条带,仅存在由特异性引物所扩增的第1—7外显子全长的序列条带;而第6～10外显子区域观察到5种替代剪切条带,序列分析显示分别为无缺失片段,以及完整缺失第7、第9、第7和9、第7—9外显子5种RHD转录子。结论正常Rh（D）抗原阳性个体的RHD基因mRNA的选择性剪接仅存在于第7～9外显子区域。     

草菇exo-β-1,3-葡聚糖酶基因可变剪接体的克隆与表达分析

可变剪接是基因表达调控的一种重要方式。本研究利用RT-PCR克隆鉴定到草菇exo-β-1,3-葡聚糖酶基因(exg2)的4种可变剪接体(exg2V1,exg2V2,exg2V3和exg2V4),其中,exg2V1第7个内含子保留;exg2V2第11个内含子保留同时剪切掉第12个外显子的后58bp;exg2V3同时保留第7个和第17个内含子;exg2V4同时保留第2、第9和第17个内含子。4种剪接体均在可变剪接位点提前出现终止密码子,导致预测编码的氨基酸序列中包含不完整的结构域。定量PCR结果显示:草菇5个发育时期中,4种可变剪接体表达量均比标准剪接体exg2低,但4种可变剪接体的表达也表现出一定的时期和组织差异性。初步推断发现的草菇exg2基因4种可变剪接体均为无义介导的mRNA降解,通过此方式达到对exg2基因标准剪接转录本的精准调控。     

寻找mRNA的选择性剪接

在真核生物的基因中,mRNA选择性剪接现象十分普遍。mRNA选择性剪接导致一个基因多转录本的产生,被认为是高等生物增加蛋白质多样性的主要机制,且已发现与许多人类疾病密切相关。发现这些转录本的选择性剪接位点、新的外显子和外显子组合,乃至获得这些剪接变异体的完整克隆,对于基因功能的深入研究十分必要。简要介绍了几种在mRNA水平探索选择性剪接的方法。     

大鼠Mocs2基因跳跃型外显子可变剪接保留率的检测

可变剪接是真核生物基因表达调控的一种重要方式,它通过剪接位点调控ORFs (Open reading frames)区域外显子或内含子的表达,产生不同的mRNA剪接体,进一步翻译成具有相同或不同功能的蛋白质,从而对诸如发育、疾病、环境响应等生物学过程产生重要影响.已有文献报道,人类Mocs2基因exon 1a与exon 1b外显子发生互斥型可变剪接,产生的两个剪接体分别编码钼喋呤合酶的大小亚基,参与钼辅因子生物的合成过程.基于本课题组前期大鼠肺部组织RNA-seq测序的结果,发现Mocs2基因2号外显子转录后可被剪接或保留,产生两个不同的剪接体.为验证测序结果的准确性,本研究利用半定量PCR与实时荧光定量PCR两种方法检测大鼠脑、海马、肺组织中Mocs2基因2号外显子的保留率.半定量PCR方法检测大鼠肺、海马、大脑组织中Mocs2基因的保留率分别为(88.28±3.09)％、(99.44±0.24)％、(99.54±0.19)％.实时荧光定量PCR检测的保留率分别为(66.76±20.47)％、(75.60±12.44)％、(87.28±16.4)％.实验结果表明,Mocs2基因2号外显子在大鼠中存在可变剪接现象,且不同组织具有一定差异.本工作进一步验证了两种PCR方法检测前体mRNA可变剪接保留率的可行性.     

肝素酶基因可变剪接体的克隆及鉴定

目的:克隆肝素酶基因的可变剪接体并测序。方法:根据人肝素酶的cDNA序列设计引物,用RT-PCR方法从正常人外周血白细胞中扩增肝素酶基因的可变剪接体,构建至pGEM-T Easy载体中,转化大肠杆菌DH5α感受态细胞,筛选阳性克隆并进行序列测定。结果:获得了肝素酶基因的3种可变剪接体形式,即5号外显子缺失可变剪接体、6号外显子缺失可变剪接体、5和6号外显子缺失可变剪接体,其中后2种可变剪接体尚未报道。结论:克隆了肝素酶基因的3种可变剪接体,有助于研究各种肝素酶可变剪接体编码蛋白的结构和功能及其在肿瘤发生转移过程中的作用。     

cis基因交换形成RHD-CE(2-9)-D等位基因

以往通过基因组DNA分析,分别在高加索人和中国人中观察到少数Rh阴性个体存在RHD基因第1和第10外显子,但是该等位基因形成的具体分子机制尚有争论。本文分别针对RHD基因mRNA的5′-和3′-非编码区设计一对特异性引物,通过逆转录PCR（RT-PCR）和cDNA测序,分析2例RHD基因阳性（拥有第1和第10外显子）、D抗原表型阴性个体的全长mRNA/cDNA序列,同时以1例正常Rh阳性个体（CcDDee）作对照。结果正常Rh阳性个体拥有正常RHD基因mRNA,2名携带RHD基因的Rh阴性个体则均检出存在与正常RHD基因或RHCE基因转录产物相同长度、以及相同外显子构成的mRNA,但该转录子的第1和第10外显子及3′-非编码区序列与RHD基因一致,而第2～9外显子全部序列与RHCE(e)基因mRNA相同,表明2名个体均存在RHD-CE(2~9)-D融合RHD等位基因,即其RHD基因的第2～9外显子被同源RHCE(e)基因替换,导致不能编码正常RhD蛋白,形成个体D抗原阴性表型。     

人端粒保护蛋白hPot1的一种新选择性剪接体的克隆及鉴定

hPot1是端粒单链结合蛋白,在维持染色体末端的稳定性中发挥着重要作用。从前列腺癌细胞C4-2中提取总RNA,以反转录得到的cDNA为模板,扩增全长的hPot1 cDNA,发现hPot1基因的一种新的剪接形式。这种新的剪接形式缺失了野生型hPot1基因的第2个外显子,并且造成了读码框架的改变,使翻译提前终止,表达出一段有45个氨基酸残基的短肽。进一步检测表明,这一hPot1 mRNA新剪接体广泛存在于多种组织来源的细胞中,提示这一剪接形式可能是细胞调控hPot1功能的一种调节机制。     

棉花腺苷酸核糖基化作用因子1(arf1)的结构特征、替换剪接和遗传表达分析

用已建立的新型染色体步移技术同尾酶反向PCR和快速分离目的基因cDNA 5′未知序列方法从陆地棉品种Y18中分离到腺苷酸核糖基化作用因子1(arf1)的全长cDNA、DNA和启动子序列。结果表明,该基因全长4360bp,具有6个内含子和7个外显子,在第一个内含子处存在替换剪接现象,使该基因在棉花中分别形成1026、1103和1544bp的3种mRNA。该基因编码181个氨基酸,转录起始位点上游具有转录起始子、TATA盒、CAAT盒、GC盒、多个正向重复序列和反向重复序列,在转录起始位点下游具有富含AT序列和回文结构等启动子特征序列。Southern杂交结果表明：该基因在棉花基因组中有两个拷贝。Northern杂交结果表明：该基因在棉花的蕾、花、纤维和铃壳等生殖器官中呈优势表达。     

Nav1.5/SCN5A基因新的变构体编码人脑组织Nav1.5 Na+通道

河豚毒-抵抗性(TTX-R)Nav1.5 Na 通道是心肌的特异性Na 通道,虽然研究发现神经元中也存在河豚毒-抵抗性Na 电流及Nav1.5/SCN5A mRNA的表达,但其确切的cDNA序列尚不清楚.采用RT-PCR法对人脑组织Nav1.5/SCN5A基因cDNA进行克隆发现:人脑组织Nav1.5/SCN5A基因cDNA有2种变构体,hB1和hB2(accession number EF629346,EF629347),其中hB1全长6201个碱基,其开放读码框架(ORF)参与编码2016个氨基酸,和人心肌Nav1.5 Na 通道氨基酸序列相同率高达98%,共有28个不同的氨基酸,其中7个集中位于第6A外显子与第6外显子编码区.与人心肌Nav1.5/SCN5A基因cDNA不同的是,在对人脑组织Nav1.5/SCN5A基因cDNA的克隆中未发现该基因第18外显子的选择性剪接,但却发现其第24外显子的选择性剪接,2种选择性剪接体(hB1和hB2)在脑组织中基本同时表达,表达比率接近1∶1,但在心脏中二者的表达比率却与年龄有关.人Nav1.5/SCN5A基因的第24外显子定位于染色体3P21区,共有54个碱基,参与编码18个氨基酸.RT-PCR法证实第24外显子的选择性剪接也可发生在大鼠心脑之外的其他组织中,竞争性PCR法证明,不同组织中2种选择性剪接体的表达比率不同,且随着周龄的增加,2种选择性剪接体在各组织中表达的变化趋势不同.此外,RT-PCR法还发现Wistar大鼠全身16种组织中均可检测到Nav1.5/SCN5A mRNA的表达.上述实验结果说明,Nav1.5 Na 通道在全身组织中分布广泛,但编码人脑组织Nav1.5 Na 通道与心肌组织该离子通道的cDNA序列不同,是Nav1.5/SCN5A基因的2种变构体,这为深入研究不同组织中Nav1.5 Na 通道的功能提供了基础.     

人锰超氧化物歧化酶基因剪接异构体的表达分析

对人锰超氧化物歧化酶(human manganese superoxide dismutase,hMn-SOD)基因剪接异构体进行分析,并检测异构体的表达情况。在GenBank库中检索人锰超氧化物歧化酶基因异构体及编码基因组序列,利用Vector NTI9生物软件进行核酸及蛋白序列比对;利用RT-PCR方法分析锰超氧化物歧化酶基因异构体的表达。结果显示,在GenBank库检索发现有3种人锰超氧化物歧化酶基因异构体,剪接异构的类型为可变的5′剪接位点和外显子盒,各异构体基因内含子均符合"GT-AG"规则。3种基因异构体编码两种异构体蛋白,即222个氨基酸的人锰超氧化物歧化酶蛋白以及中部缺少39个氨基酸的截短型异构蛋白。RT-PCR检测结果表明,剪接异构体hMn-SODb在HEK293T和HSC细胞中的表达比在HepG2细胞中高,未见异构体hMn-SODc的表达。     

In vitro splicing of simian virus 40 early pre mRNA.

The products of splicing of simian virus 40 early pre mRNA in HeLa cell nuclear extracts have been characterized. Of the two alternative splicing patterns exhibited by this precursor in vivo, which involve the use of alternative large T and small t 5' splice sites and a single shared 3' splice site, only one, producing large T mRNA, was found to occur in vitro. A number of possible intermediates and byproducts of splicing of large T mRNA were observed, including free large T 5' exon, lariat form intron joined to 3' exon and free lariat and linear forms of large T intron. The formation of these products argues strongly for a basic similarity in the mechanism underlying large T and other, non-alternative splices. A collection of RNAs resulting from protection of early pre mRNA at specific points from an endogenous 5' to 3' exonuclease activity in vitro have also been observed. The regions of the precursor RNA protected map to positions immediately upstream of the 5' splice sites of large T and small t and the lariat branchpoint, and may represent interaction of these regions with components of the splicing machinery.     

mRNA选择性剪接的分子机制

真核细胞mRNA前体经过剪接成为成熟的mRNA,而mRNA前体的选择性剪接极大地增加了蛋白质的多样性和基因表达的复杂程度,剪接位点的识别可以以跨越内含子的机制(内含子限定)或跨越外显子的机制(外显子限定)进行。选择性剪接有多种剪接形式：选择不同的剪接位点,选择不同的剪接末端,外显子的不同组合及内含子的剪接与否等。选择性剪接过程受到许多顺式元件和反式因子的调控,并与基本剪接过程紧密联系,剪接体中的一些剪接因子也参与了对选择性剪接的调控。选择性剪接也是1个伴随转录发生的过程,不同的启动子可调控产生不同的剪接产物。mRNA的选择性剪接机制多种多样,已发现RNA编辑和反式剪接也可参与选择性剪接过程。     

Multisite and bidirectional exonic splicing enhancer in CD44 alternative exon v3

The human CD44 gene encodes multiple isoforms of a transmembrane protein that differ in their extracellular domains as a result of alternative splicing of its variable exons. Expression of CD44 is tightly regulated according to the type and physiological status of a cell, with expression of high molecular weight isoforms by inclusion of variable exons and low molecular weight isoforms containing few or no variable exons. Human CD44 variable exon 3 (v3) can follow a specific alternative splicing route different from that affecting other variable exons. Here we map and functionally describe the splicing enhancer element within CD44 exon v3 which regulates its inclusion in the final mRNA. The v3 splicing enhancer is a multisite bipartite element consisting of a tandem nonamer, the XX motif, and an heptamer, the Y motif, located centrally in the exon. Each of the three sites of this multisite enhancer partially retains its splicing enhancing capacity independently from each other in CD44 and shows full enhancing function in gene contexts different from CD44. We further demonstrate that these motifs act cooperatively as at least two motifs are needed to maintain exon inclusion. Their action is differential with respect to the splice-site target abutting v3. The first X motif acts on the 3' splice site, the second X motif acts on both splice sites (as a bidirectional exonic splicing enhancer), and the Y motif acts on the 5' splice site. We also show that the multisite v3 splicing enhancer is functional irrespective of flanking intron length and spatial organization within v3.     

Gene discovery and gene expression in the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe grisea: analysis of expressed sequence tags

Over 28,000 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were produced from cDNA libraries representing a variety of growth conditions and cell types. Several Magnaporthe grisea strains were used to produce the libraries, including a nonpathogenic strain bearing a mutation in the PMK1 mitogen-activated protein kinase. Approximately 23,000 of the ESTs could be clustered into 3,050 contigs, leaving 5,127 singleton sequences. The estimate of 8,177 unique sequences indicates that over half of the genes of the fungus are represented in the ESTs. Analysis of EST frequency reveals growth and cell type-specific patterns of gene expression. This analysis establishes criteria for identification of fungal genes involved in pathogenesis. A large fraction of the genes represented by ESTs have no known function or described homologs. Manual annotation of the most abundant cDNAs with no known homologs allowed us to identify a family of metallothionein proteins present in M. grisea, Neurospora crassa, and Fusarium graminearum. In addition, multiply represented ESTs permitted the identification of alternatively spliced mRNA species. Alternative splicing was rare, and in most cases, the alternate mRNA forms were unspliced, although alternative 5' splice sites were also observed.     

Regulation of adenovirus alternative RNA splicing at the level of commitment complex formation.

The adenovirus late region 1 (L1) represents an example of an alternatively spliced gene where one 5' splice site is spliced to two alternative 3' splice sites, to produce two mRNAs; the 52,55K and IIIa mRNAs, respectively. Accumulation of the L1 mRNAs is temporally regulated during the infectious cycle. Thus, the proximal 3' splice site (52,55K mRNA) is used at all times during the infectious cycle whereas the distal 3' splice site (IIIa mRNA) is used exclusively late in infection. Here we show that in vitro splicing extracts prepared from late adenovirus-infected cells reproduces the virus-induced temporal shift from proximal to distal 3' splice site selection in L1 pre-mRNA splicing. Two stable intermediates in spliceosome assembly have been identified; the commitment complex and the pre-spliceosome (or A complex). We show that the transition in splice site activity in L1 alternative splicing results from an increase in the efficiency of commitment complex formation using the distal 3' splice site in extracts prepared from late virus-infected cells combined with a reduction of the efficiency of proximal 3' splice site splicing. The increase in commitment activity on the distal 3' splice site is paralleled by a virus-induced increase in A complex formation on the distal 3' splice site. Importantly, the virus-induced shift from proximal to distal L1 3' splice site usage does not require cis competition between the 52,55K and the IIIa 3' splice sites, but rather results from the intrinsic property of the two 3' splice sites which make them respond differently to factors in extracts prepared from virus-infected cells.