异染色质相关蛋白1

异染色质相关蛋白1(HP1)是异染色质的特征性蛋白,最初从果蝇多线染色体异染色质中被分离出,包含chromo结构域(CD)与chromo阴影结构域(CSD)两个高度保守的结构区域。HP1与花斑位置效应(PEV)现象有关,可引起稳定的转录沉默,在基因调控、保护端粒、组装染色质上具有重要作用。此外,HP1与乳癌也有一定关系。本文综述了HPl的发现、结构特点、相互作用蛋白、HP1的活化、功能与展望。     

异染色质的开放

真核细胞的染色体分为异染色质和常染色质。异染色质的形成和传播是通过对组蛋白的甲基化、乙酰化的修饰,提供HP1的识别位点实现的。过去认为与异染色质结合的蛋白质是固定的,现有研究表明与异染色质结合的蛋白质是流动的,因此转录激活因子与异染色质蛋白的竞争,可能决定了异染色质的开放,并为基因的转录提供了前提。     

衰老相关异染色质聚集——细胞衰老生物学新标志

染色质重塑是调控基因时序性表达的重要环节.衰老的人二倍体成纤维细胞核中有呈点状聚集的异染色质结构,这种特征性现象被称为衰老相关异染色质聚集(SAHF).K9M-H3和HP1是SAHF的标志性蛋白.在SAHF的形成过程中,p16INK4a/Rb途径和高迁移率蛋白A(high-mobility group A protein,HMGA protein)等许多因素起着非常重要的作用.最近研究表明,SAHF能够抑制E2F靶基因的表达,从而使细胞维持于稳定的衰老状态.SAHF的发现为细胞衰老的研究提供了一个新的生物学标志,并为细胞衰老状态的稳定维持提出了一种分子机制.     

芽殖酵母和裂殖酵母中异染色质形成机制

芽殖酵母(Saccharomyces cerevisiae)和裂殖酵母(Schizosaccharomyces pombe)是用来研究异染色质形成、细胞周期、DNA复制等重要细胞功能的理想单细胞真核生物.本文主要介绍这2种酵母中异染色质形成的机制.异染色质是一种抑制基因转录和DNA重组的特殊染色质结构.尽管在芽殖酵母和裂殖酵母中异染色质形成都需要组蛋白修饰,但异染色质建立的机制不同.在芽殖酵母中参与异染色质形成的主要蛋白是Sir1-4蛋白（其中Sir2为组蛋白H3去乙酰化酶）,而组蛋白H3赖氨酸9甲基化酶Clr4和异染色质蛋白Swi6在裂殖酵母异染色质形成中起关键的作用.在这两个酵母中,参与异染色质形成的组蛋白修饰蛋白由DNA结合蛋白招募到异染色质.此外,裂殖酵母也利用RNA干扰系统招募组蛋白修饰蛋白.     

异染色质及基因关闭

异染色质普遍存在于真核生物的染色质中,和细胞分裂、生存竞争等有密切关系,尤其在调节基因的活性上有重要作用。组蛋白尾的修饰,决定着异染色质的形成和解聚,从而控制基因的启闭,这一机制被称为组蛋白密码。本文以裂殖酵母的交配型区为例介绍了异染色质的的形成及维持机理。组蛋白密码可能是DNA遗传密码外生命的又一调节机制,而对异染色质形成和结构功能的研究,将成为破译组蛋白密码的钥匙。     

提莫菲维小麦C—带和N—带异染色质的比较研究

利用C-带和N-带分别及连续处理技术对提莫菲维小麦(Triticum timopheevi Zhuk.)的染色体带型及异染色质的类型与分布进行比较分析。结果表明,提莫菲维小麦的4A染色体以及G-染色体组带型丰富,并具有明显的端带,其异染色质是多样化的。4G和6G为随体染色体,随体显带明显。在提莫菲维小麦的染色体中异染色质类型有:(1)只有C~ N~ 型(4A、4G、6G和7G染色体);(2)只有C~ N~-型(1A、5A、6A和7A染色体);(3)C~ N~ 和C~ N~-型(2A、3A、1G、2G、3G和5G染色体)。在C-带和N-带连续处理中,N-带异染色质的消失部位在1G、2G、3G和5G染色体的端部,3A染色体的着丝点附近以及染色体1A、2A、5A、6A和7A的着丝点附近及端部。本文还讨论了C-带和N-带异染色质的异同以及端部异染色质在G染色体组进化中的可能作用。     

多梳蛋白CBX家族在哺乳动物中结构与功能多样性的研究进展

多梳蛋白家族(PcG)是一类重要的表观遗传调控因子,主要参与维持特定基因的转录沉默,与多种干细胞的干性维系、细胞分化、细胞周期的调控、细胞衰老、X染色体失活、基因印记、癌症的发生发展等一系列细胞生理及病理活动密切相关.PcG蛋白主要形成PRC1和PRC2两类多梳蛋白抑制复合体,它们彼此相互协同调控基因的表达.其中Chromobox同源蛋白即CBX蛋白作为PRC1复合体的核心组分协助招募并稳定PRC1到染色质的特定区域.在哺乳动物中,CBX蛋白家族包含5个成员,它们在结构和功能方面既有共性又有特性,本文主要就多梳蛋白CBX家族在哺乳动物中结构与功能多样性的研究进展作一综述.     

一种基于GFP分子荧光显示的检测大尺度染色质松弛技术的建立

在真核生物中,基因组DNA是被高度包装成染色质的形式而存在的,这就对基因在复制、转录、修复、重组时的功能分子有效地接近DNA形成了天然屏障,执行上述生化反应需要松散染色质的结构,染色质松散是染色质动态变化即染色质重塑(chromatin remodeling)的一种形式.越来越多的证据表明,染色质重塑在DNA损伤反应中起着非常重要的作用,染色质重塑过程可以把损伤应答和修复蛋白募集到损伤位点,从而完成修复.为了进一步探讨染色质重塑和DNA损伤修复的偶联机制,采用了基于Lac抑制子和Lac操纵子的大规模染色质重塑报告系统,并借助GFP分子荧光显示方法,建立了可以直观地观察染色质松散的技术.在利用该技术证实了DNA损伤应答蛋白TIP60能够强烈诱导染色质松散的基础上,发现P53诱导基因3蛋白(PIG3)在细胞辐射DNA损伤反应中也能够一定程度地诱导染色质松弛.这些结果证明此技术是可靠的,也为阐述DNA损伤修复与染色质重塑关联机制提供了新的信息.     

鳙鱼染色体的DAPI核型分析

利用腹腔注射秋水仙素制备肾细胞染色体方法和DAPI（4＇,6＇-diamidino-2-phenylindole）荧光染色的方法,对鳙鱼（Aristichthys,nobills）的染色体组型和染色质的分布进行了研究。结果表明,其二倍体数目为2n=48,核型为30M＋14SM＋2ST＋2T。DAPI荧光染色显示间期细胞核中荧光亮度较为一致,提示异染色质在间期细胞核中分布比较均一。而DAPI荧光染色在第1和第4染色体的短臂上较为明亮,其余染色体上的明亮区都分布在着丝粒区域,表明第1和第4染色体上的异染色质主要集中在染色体的短臂上,其余染色体的异染色质主要分布在着丝粒区域。     

人的Y染色体异染色质与形态生理学变异

对55名Y染色体具有形态上相同的、异染色质几乎全部缺失的男性和55名Y染色体正常的男性进行了80项形态生理学性状的研究。发现在这两个组之间大部分性状的平均值并无显著性差异,但有些血液学指标有显著差异。用模式认辨法确定出20个性状的组合可以区分这两个组,其认辨误差为4.6%。认辨系统包括的有价值的性状为心电图指标(占性状的25%)、某些人类学指标、血液学指标和个体年龄。结果表明,Y染色体异染色质可能在人的个体发育过程中对形态生理学性状间的表型关系起一种修饰作用。     

Structural variation in the heterochromatin of rye chromosomes in triticales

Summary Although Giemsa C-banding techniques have been used extensively for assaying cereal heterochromatin, a more specific technique for analyzing cereal heterochromatin has been developed recently with the isolation of DNA sequences present in heterochromatin and their employment in in situ hybridization to cereal chromosomes. A number of triticales were examined for the occurrence of modified rye chromosomes using the in situ hybridization technique. With a heterogeneous sequence probe the amount of rye heterochromatin appears to be relatively constant in wheat backgrounds but when a specific sequence probe was employed variation was observed. Whether this variation reflects polymorphism in rye or whether it is a result of adaption of the rye genome to coexistence with the wheat genome in triticales is discussed. — The triticale Rosner was examined in detail and it was established that the rye chromosome 2R had been replaced by the wheat chromosome 2D.     

The DNA content of the individual chromosomes of rye

Summary The relative DNA content of individual chromosomes of Secale cereale L. was determined in 25 cells by microdensitometry of Feulgen stained preparations. The correlation value between relative DNA content and relative chromosome length was r=0.61 for all 328 chromosomes measured. However, the correlation coefficients calculated for individual cells as well as for mean values always approached 1. Taking into account the structure of rye chromosomes, this indicates that microdensitometric results may not be accurate when large quantities of heterochromatic DNA sequences are present in analyzed material.     

Colonization of heterochromatic genes by transposable elements in Drosophila

As a further step toward understanding transposable element-host genome interactions, we investigated the molecular anatomy of introns from five heterochromatic and 22 euchromatic protein-coding genes of Drosophila melanogaster. A total of 79 kb of intronic sequences from heterochromatic genes and 355 kb of intronic sequences from euchromatic genes have been used in Blast searches against Drosophila transposable elements (TEs). The results show that TE-homologous sequences belonging to 19 different families represent about 50% of intronic DNA from heterochromatic genes. In contrast, only 0.1% of the euchromatic intron DNA exhibits homology to known TEs. Intraspecific and interspecific size polymorphisms of introns were found, which are likely to be associated with changes in TE-related sequences. Together, the enrichment in TEs and the apparent dynamic state of heterochromatic introns suggest that TEs contribute significantly to the evolution of genes located in heterochromatin.     

Changes in abo phenotypic expression without increase in rDNA in Drosophila melanogaster

Summary Females of Drosophila melanogaster, homozygous for the abnormal oocyte mutation (abo 2; 44) produce eggs with a greatly reduced probability of developing into adults compared with those of control females. After several generations in abo homozygous stocks, the abo maternal effect is no longer observed. The progressive amelioration of the abo maternal effect in the Canton S background, into which the abo mutation was introduced, was concomitant with an increase in rDNA and variation in the rDNA restriction pattern. To clarify the relationship between the loss of the abo phenotype and the change in rDNA redundancy, we performed genetic and molecular analyses using abo stocks carrying X chromosomes of different origin and carrying different amounts of rDNA. The results we present confirm, in different genetic backgrounds, the previous observations on the behaviour of the abo mutation. However, both the amount and the restriction pattern of rDNA of the different X chromosomes studied remain unchanged after the loss of the abo phenotype. From these observations, it appears that changes in heterochromatic regions other than rDNA are responsible for the loss of the abo maternal effect.     

Drad21, a Drosophila rad21 homologue expressed in S-phase cells

Cohesin is an evolutionarily conserved multiprotein complex required to establish and maintain sister chromatid cohesion. Here, we report the cloning and initial characterization of the Drosophila homologue of the fission yeast rad21 cohesin subunit, called Drad21. The Drad21 coding region was localized to centromeric heterochromatin and encodes a 715 amino acid (aa) protein with 42% aa identity to vertebrate Rad21p-homologues, 25% with Scc1p/Mcd1p (S. cerevisiae) and 28% with Rad21p (S. pombe). Sequences with similarity to the sites of proteolytic cleavage identified in Scc1p/Mcd1p are not evident in DRAD21. Northern blot and mRNA in-situ studies show that Drad21 is developmentally regulated, with high levels of expression in early embryogenesis, in S-phase cells of proliferating imaginal tissues, and in the early endocycling cells of the embryonic gut.     

C-banding pattern and meiotic pairing in five rye chromosomes of hexaploid triticale

Summary The meiotic behaviour of rye chromosomes 1R, 2R, 3R, 6R and 7R/4R of hexaploid triticale Cachirulo is analyzed using the C-banding technique. These chromosomes show different C-banding patterns and present different pairing levels at metaphase I. A decreasing effect of large telomeric heterochromatin bands on pairing is deduced from the following two main facts: i) The chromosome 7R/4R shows the highest pairing associated with the smallest amount of heterochromatin, ii) pairing levels of 2 R short arm and 3 R long arm which carry large telomeric bands are less than their respective long and short arms lacking telomeric heterochromatin. Possible desynaptic effects of heterochromatin are discussed although an asynaptic effect cannot be rejected.