同源异型框基因与动物早期发育

同源异型框基因广泛存在于真核生物中,编码一类转录调节蛋白。同源异型框基因在动物早期发育的基因调控中起着非常重要的作用。在动物胚胎发育过程中,同源异型框基因的表达具有复杂的时空模式和调控系统。Antp族基因对于早期胚胎发育中的模式建成,器官分化等具有重要意义。     

同源盒蛋白与人类白血病

同源盒蛋白是一类具有特定的时空表达模式的转录调控因子,本对造血细胞内同源盒基因的表达特点及因同源盒蛋白表达异常所致白血病的各种分子机制加以综述,提出同源盒基因的结构与功能异常是人类种瘤发生的重要原因之一。     

铁硫簇的生物合成

铁硫簇在细胞的生物学过程中起着重要的作用,可参与电子传递、代谢控制和基因调节等过程。研究显示铁硫簇具有多样性,它的合成依赖于ISC和SUF系统,固氮酶中还需要NIF系统的参与。ISC系统由iscSUA-hscBA-fdx基因串编码,合成的是一类“管家”蛋白,适于在正常条件下表达。SUF系统由基因串sufABCDSE编码,常在恶劣环境如氧化应激和铁饥饿条件下表达。NIF系统由nifSU基因编码,适于固氮酶(厌氧条件下起作用)铁硫簇的合成。     

甲胎蛋白的基因表达与调控

甲胎蛋白基因的调控主要是转录水平的。其中顺式作用片段和逆式作用因子对其表达的正匀调起着关键作用,这种正负调节既互相制约,又彼此协调从而使甲胎蛋白能够正常表达。另外,甲基化调节机理对甲胎蛋白基因也有作用。激素主要是糖蛋质激素也参与了它的调节。但甲胎蛋白基因在组织和发育过程中特异性表达机理尚待进一步深入研究。     

FMR1基因结构与功能

ＦＭＲ１基因无时空特异性地表达提示它具有管家基因尾性质,其正常表达对于每个细胞发挥正常的功能都是必不同少的,而与增殖过程和表型发生过程无关。ＦＭＲ１基因在某些组织的时空特异性表达又提示,它也是一种在发育过程起重要作用的调节基因,对于中枢神经系统、生殖系统及其它许多组织的正常发育是必不可少的,可能在细胞的迁移和分化过程中起重要的调探作用。ＦＭＲ１基因表达一种定位于胞浆中的ＲＮＡ结合蛋白ＦＭＲＰ。ＦＭ     

trp14基因在文昌鱼早期发育阶段的时空表达及免疫活性初步研究

探讨文昌鱼trp14 (thioredoxin-related protein of 14 kD)基因在文昌鱼早期发育阶段的时空表达模式及其免疫活性.利用整体原位杂交技术研究trp14基因在文昌鱼早期发育阶段的时空表达模式;通过半定量RT-PCR方法分析trp14基因在低温胁迫和免疫药物刺激下的mRNA表达变化.trp14基因在文昌鱼2 d幼虫的原始消化道表达,呈现时空特异的表达模式;低温可以增强trp14基因的表达,而免疫刺激药物LPS和LTA则降低trp14基因的表达量.文昌鱼trp14基因在胁迫条件下表达量发生变化,暗示其可能参与氧化压力变化引起的免疫反应.     

人类p53和c-myc同源基因在玉米颖果发育过程中的表达

肿瘤抑制基因p53和原癌基因c-myc已被证明在动物中高度保守并参与许多PCD过程。这两个基因编码的同源蛋白及其RNA在玉米中的存在已有报道,并且其DNA同源序列已利用荧光原位杂交定位在玉米相应的染色体上。利用免疫组织化学方法探测了与人类p53和c-myc基因同源的玉米基因在玉米颖果发育过程中的时空表达模式。结果发现,在授粉后的一定阶段,在反足细胞、珠被、未成熟的胚乳、予房壁、导管组织和糊粉层中,p53同源基因表达强烈,c-myc同源基因的表达相反,在授粉后的这些组织中基本不表达,而在授粉前的中央细胞的极核中表达水平较高。TUNEL检测显示,在p53同源基因呈现高水平表达的地方,DNA断裂信号强烈。在动物细胞中,p53和c-myc起相反的调节作用,这与其同源基因在玉米中的作用模式相似。由此说明p53和c-myc同源基因可能在玉米颖果发育PCD过程中起重要作用,并进一步推论高等植物PCD和动物细胞凋亡存在一定的保守性机制。     

转Bt基因植物中外源基因时空动态表达的研究现状

在转Bt基因植株中 ,外源基因的时空动态表达对于害虫的防治和转基因安全评价管理具有重要意义。利用生物测定法和酶联免疫吸附测定法 (ELISA) ,对植物不同组织在同一发育阶段、同一组织在不同的发育阶段以及不同转基因植株的外源基因的时空动态表达进行研究。本文综述了转基因植物中外源基因时空动态表达的研究进展和现状。     

酵母基因组共表达基因簇与其上游顺式作用元件的关系

ＤＮＡ微阵列技术的快速发展开辟了从表达图谱研究基因组功能的新途径。酵母全基因组的测定和基因组表达图谱数据的发表使其成为研究真核基因转录调控机制的首选目标。运用生物信息学的工具研究了酵母基因组中基因上游顺式调控元件与基因组表达图谱的关系。结果表明,表达紧密关系的同一簇基因都具有若干特异的顺式作用元件,其表达受到相应反式调控因子的控制。找到的位点中,一部分与已知顺式作用元件相对应;另一部分可能是新的顺     

Hox基因及其进化机制的研究进展

Hox基因是生物体内一类重要的发育调控基因家族.Hox基因高度保守,通常成簇存在,编码一类转录因子,在个体胚胎发育中起着重要的调控作用.近期研究表明,基因复制、基因序列变异及选择压力对Hox基因簇的产生和进化有重要作用,同时调节元件和协同进化对Hox基因的进化也有重要影响.     

拟南芥花药绒毡层细胞中具有基因簇特征的基因进化和功能分析

在植物基因组中, 除了同源基因成簇现象外, 近年来还发现一些具有共表达特性的异源基因也能够以基因簇形式存在, 但这些异源基因簇的进化和生物学功能尚不清楚。花药发育和花粉形成是植物进化出的特有的生殖生物学过程, 同时产生了一些在花药绒毡层中特异表达和特定功能的基因簇基因。该研究通过筛选和分析花药绒毡层中基因簇基因的分子特性、表达调控、基因年龄和基因重复进化等信息, 探讨花药基因簇基因与植物开花功能进化之间的关系。结果表明, 在拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)中共筛选到84个(13个基因簇)花药绒毡层特异高表达的基因簇基因, 它们主要产生于串联重复事件, 76%的基因出现在开花植物分化后的阶段, 主要参与生殖发育、花粉鞘组成和脂代谢等生物学过程。研究初步解析了拟南芥花药绒毡层中基因簇基因的基本特征、生物学功能和基因进化机制, 为深入揭示植物基因簇基因的遗传学功能奠定了基础。     

Conserved roles of Osiris genes in insect development,polymorphism and protection

Much of the variation among insects is derived from the different ways that chitin has been moulded to form rigid structures, both internal and external. In this study, we identify a highly conserved expression pattern in an insect‐only gene family, the Osiris genes, that is essential for development, but also plays a significant role in phenotypic plasticity and in immunity/toxicity responses. The majority of Osiris genes exist in a highly syntenic cluster, and the cluster itself appears to have arisen very early in the evolution of insects. We used developmental gene expression in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, the bumble bee, Bombus terrestris, the harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus, and the wood ant, Formica exsecta, to compare patterns of Osiris gene expression both during development and between alternate caste phenotypes in the polymorphic social insects. Developmental gene expression of Osiris genes is highly conserved across species and correlated with gene location and evolutionary history. The social insect castes are highly divergent in pupal Osiris gene expression. Sets of co‐expressed genes that include Osiris genes are enriched in gene ontology terms related to chitin/cuticle and peptidase activity. Osiris genes are essential for cuticle formation in both embryos and pupae, and genes co‐expressed with Osiris genes affect wing development. Additionally, Osiris genes and those co‐expressed seem to play a conserved role in insect toxicology defences and digestion. Given their role in development, plasticity, and protection, we propose that the Osiris genes play a central role in insect adaptive evolution.     

Identification of the cluster control region for the protocadherin-beta genes located beyond the protocadherin-gamma cluster

The clustered protocadherins (Pcdhs), Pcdh-α, -β, and -γ, are transmembrane proteins constituting a subgroup of the cadherin superfamily. Each Pcdh cluster is arranged in tandem on the same chromosome. Each of the three Pcdh clusters shows stochastic and combinatorial expression in individual neurons, thus generating a hugely diverse set of possible cell surface molecules. Therefore, the clustered Pcdhs are candidates for determining neuronal molecular diversity. Here, we showed that the targeted deletion of DNase I hypersensitive (HS) site HS5-1, previously identified as a Pcdh-α regulatory element in vitro, affects especially the expression of specific Pcdh-α isoforms in vivo. We also identified a Pcdh-β cluster control region (CCR) containing six HS sites (HS16, 17, 17', 18, 19, and 20) downstream of the Pcdh-γ cluster. This CCR comprehensively activates the expression of the Pcdh-β gene cluster in cis, and its deletion dramatically decreases their expression levels. Deleting the CCR nonuniformly down-regulates some Pcdh-γ isoforms and does not affect Pcdh-α expression. Thus, the CCR effect extends beyond the 320-kb region containing the Pcdh-γ cluster to activate the upstream Pcdh-β genes. Thus, we concluded that the CCR is a highly specific regulatory unit for Pcdh-β expression on the clustered Pcdh genomic locus. These findings suggest that each Pcdh cluster is controlled by distinct regulatory elements that activate their expression and that the stochastic gene regulation of the clustered Pcdhs is controlled by the complex chromatin architecture of the clustered Pcdh locus.     

Systematic analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">NPK1</Emphasis>-like genes in rice reveals a stress-inducible gene cluster co-localized with a quantitative trait locus of drought resistance

Phosphorylation by protein kinase is a ubiquitous key mechanism in translating external stimuli such as drought stress. NPK1 is a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase identified in Nicotiana tabacum and plays important roles in cytokinesis and auxin signaling transduction and responses to multiple stresses. Here we report the evolution, structure, and comprehensive expression profile of 21 NPK1-like genes in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Phylogenetic analysis of NPK1-like sequences in rice (OsNPKL), Arabidopsis, and other plants reveals that NPK1-like genes could be classified into three subgroups. Three OsNPKL gene clusters, located on chromosome 1 (OsNPKL1, 2, 3, and 4), 5 (OsNPKL14 and 15), and 10 (OsNPKL19 and 20), respectively, were identified in the rice genome. These clustered genes, which most likely evolved by tandem gene duplication, belong to the same phylogenetic subgroup, with similar genomic structures and conserved motifs in the kinase domain, which is unique to this subgroup. Expression analysis of OsNPKL genes under abiotic stresses suggests that the stress-responsive genes are mainly from the same subgroup. Especially interesting is that all the clustered genes are induced by drought, salt, or cold stress, and a few members are very strongly induced by drought. Some of the clustered genes are also induced by abscisic acid. The gene cluster on chromosome 1 is co-located with a quantitative trait locus (QTL) related to drought resistance. Although the drought-induced expression levels of the four genes in the cluster show no difference between the two parents used for QTL mapping, sequence variation in coding regions of the genes between the parents has provided some clues for further functional characterization of this gene cluster in abiotic stress tolerance in rice.     

Polar Gini Curve: A Technique to Discover Gene Expression Spatial Patterns from Single-cell RNA-seq Data

In this work, we describe the development of Polar Gini Curve, a method for characterizing cluster markers by analyzing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. Polar Gini Curve combines the gene expression and the 2D coordinates ("spatial") information to detect patterns of uniformity in any clustered cells from scRNA-seq data. We demonstrate that Polar Gini Curve can help users characterize the shape and density distribution of cells in a particular cluster, which can be generated during routine scRNA-seq data analysis. To quantify the extent to which a gene is uniformly distributed in a cell cluster space, we combine two polar Gini curves (PGCs)—one drawn upon the cell-points expressing the gene (the"foreground curve") and the other drawn upon all cell-points in the cluster (the"background curve"). We show that genes with highly dissimilar foreground and background curves tend not to uniformly distributed in the cell cluster—thus having spatially divergent gene expression patterns within the cluster. Genes with similar foreground and background curves tend to uniformly distributed in the cell cluster—thus having uniform gene expression patterns within the cluster. Such quantitative attributes of PGCs can be applied to sensitively discover biomarkers across clusters from scRNA-seq data. We demonstrate the performance of the Polar Gini Curve framework in several simulation case studies. Using this framework to analyze a real-world neonatal mouse heart cell dataset, the detected biomarkers may characterize novel subtypes of cardiac muscle cells. The source code and data for Polar Gini Curve could be found at http://discovery.informatics.uab.edu/PGC/ or https://figshare.com/projects/Polar_Gini_Curve/76749.     

A fragmented aflatoxin-like gene cluster in the forest pathogen Dothistroma septosporum

The polyketide toxin dothistromin is very similar in structure to the aflatoxin precursor, versicolorin B. Dothistromin is made by a pine needle pathogen, Dothistroma septosporum, both in culture and in planta. Orthologs of aflatoxin biosynthetic genes have been identified that are required for dothistromin biosynthesis in D. septosporum. In contrast to the situation in aflatoxin-producing fungi where 25 aflatoxin biosynthetic and regulatory genes are tightly clustered in one region of the genome, the dothistromin gene cluster is fragmented. Three mini-clusters of dothistromin genes have been identified, each located on a 1.3-Mb chromosome and each grouped with non-dothistromin genes. There are no obvious patterns of repeated sequences or transposon relics to suggest recent recombination events. Most dothistromin genes within the mini-clusters are co-regulated, suggesting that coordinate control of gene expression is achieved despite this unusual arrangement of secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes.     

多杀菌素生物合成基因簇启动子探测和转录时序

多杀菌素是对农业虫害防治及粮食仓储安全均具有重大意义的农用抗生素.为了深入揭示刺糖多孢菌合成多杀菌素的调控特点,首先通过建立基于报告基因的启动子探测技术,探测了多杀菌素生物合成基因簇的9个启动子活性.并进一步通过荧光定量PCR,分析了这9个基因和不在基因簇内的负责糖基前体供应和鼠李糖合成的4个基因的转录时序,结果表明多杀菌素生物合成基因簇内的9个基因在菌体生长进入稳定期时有较高的转录,这和发酵液中此时开始大量积累多杀菌素一致;同时还发现,簇外的4个与糖基供应相关的基因和基因簇内基因的转录时序不同,它们在菌体生长对数期有较高的转录活性,这暗示多杀菌素聚酮链的合成速率和参与后修饰的糖基底物供应的最优化匹配有可能是提高生物合成多杀菌素的前提和关键.