转基因植物中外源基因沉默机制的研究进展

基因沉默现象是导致转基因不能正常表达的重要因素之一.其作用机制主要有三种：位置效应,转录水平的基因沉默和转录后水平的基因沉默.根据目前的知识, 重复序列是基因沉默的普遍诱因,甲基化是基因沉默的直接原因.     

转基因植物中外源基因的沉默及应对策略

随着转基因技术在作物育种领域的应用,转基因植物中外源基因表达量低的现象较为普遍。导致外源基因表达量低的主要原因是基因沉默。外源基因沉默可分为转录水平的基因沉默和转录后水平的基因沉默。如何应对基因沉默,提高外源基因的表达量,是转基因技术发展亟待解决的问题。     

植物转基因沉默及控制

植物基因工程的目的就是获取外源基因能够按照设计要求正常表达和稳定遗传的转基因植物。近几年来,广泛报道了转基因植物中存在转基因沉默现象。主要阐述了两种转基因沉默的机理即转录水平的基因沉默和转录后水平的基因沉默,各种机理都涉及DNA DNA,DNA RNA,RNA RNA的相互作用。同时,还讨论一些控制转基因沉默现象的策略,特别是MAR在转基因植物中具有增强基因表达和减少株间差异的作用。     

RNA:诱导基因沉默

在生物体中 ,双链RNA (double strandRNA ,dsRNA)裂解后的小RNA可以诱导细胞质和基因组水平外源基因沉默。所谓基因沉默 (genesilencing)是指生物体中特定基因由于种种原因不表达。小RNA能诱导互补信使RNA在转录后降解 ,对于植物 ,可通过同源DNA序列甲基化使转录基因沉默。RNA沉默是基因组水平的免疫现象 ,代表了进化过程中原始的基因组对抗外源基因序列表达的保护机制 ,在动植物进化中起着重要作用 ,RNA沉默具有抵抗病毒入侵、抑制转座子活动、防止自私基因序列的过量增殖等作用 ,并调控蛋白编码基因的表达 ,具有十分诱人的应用前景     

植物转基因沉默研究进展

随着转基因技术在植物中的广泛应用,转基因沉默受到越来越多的重视。转基因沉默可发生在转录和转录后两种水平,其基本特征就是依赖于同源的重复序列。转基因的重复拷贝间,转基因与同源的同源基因间及RNA病毒与同源转基因间都会发生基因沉默。可能有不同的机制导致转基因沉默。本文综述了转基因沉默的机理研究及转基因沉默在植物抗病基因工程和植物功能基因组方面的应用。     

植物转基因沉默研究进展

随着转基因技术在植物中的广泛应用,转基因沉默受到越来越多的重视。转基因沉默可发生在转录和转录后两种水平,其基本特征就是依赖于同源的重复序列。转基因的重复拷贝间,转基因与同源的内源基因间及RNA病毒与同源转基因间都会发生基因沉默。可能有不同的机制导致转基因沉默,本文综述了转基因沉默的机理研究及转基因沉默在植物抗病基因工程和植物功能基因组学方面的应用 。     

植物转基因沉默与消除

植物基因工程研究是希望获得高稳定表达的转基因植株,而转基因沉默现象却限制了转基因植物的应用前景,基因沉默的机制是多方面的,包括转基因多拷贝之间的异位配对,转基因序列的甲基化,插入位点在染色体结构上的改变及转录后的衰退调控等,研究外源基因的失活原因及寻找相应的策略控制失活,对于植物基因工程的发展有着重要的意义。     

植物转基因沉默与消除

植物基因工程研究是希望获得高稳定表达的转基因植株,而转基因沉默现象却限制了转基因植物的应用前景。基因沉默的机制是多方面的,包括转基因多拷贝之间的异位配对,转基因序列的甲基化,插入位点在染色体结构上的改变及转录后的衰退调控等。研究外源基因的失活原因及寻找相应的策略控制失活,对于植物基因工程的发展有着重要的意义。     

核基质结合区与转基因沉默

核基质结合区(matrix attachment region,MAR)又叫支架附着区(scaffold attachment region,SAIL)是染色质被限制酶消化后仍与核基质或核骨架结合的DNA序列。转基因沉默主要发生在两个水平上,一是转录水平,二是在转录后水平。位置效应是引起转录水平基因沉默的重要因素。研究发现,用MAR构建的载体能够提高转基因的表达水平,能在一定程度上克服基因沉默．降低转基因在不同转基因系间的表达差异,增强外源基因表达的稳定性。     

Transgene silencing of the al-1 gene in vegetative cells of Neurospora is mediated by a cytoplasmic effector and does not depend on DNA-DNA interactions or DNA methylation.

The molecular mechanisms involved in transgene-induced gene silencing ('quelling') in Neurospora crassa were investigated using the carotenoid biosynthetic gene albino-1 (al-1) as a visual marker. Deletion derivatives of the al-1 gene showed that a transgene must contain at least approximately 132 bp of sequences homologous to the transcribed region of the native gene in order to induce quelling. Transgenes containing only al-1 promoter sequences do not cause quelling. Specific sequences are not required for gene silencing, as different regions of the al-1 gene produced quelling. A mutant defective in cytosine methylation (dim-2) exhibited normal frequencies and degrees of silencing, indicating that cytosine methylation is not responsible for quelling, despite the fact that methylation of transgene sequences frequently is correlated with silencing. Silencing was shown to be a dominant trait, operative in heterokaryotic strains containing a mixture of transgenic and non-transgenic nuclei. This result indicates that a diffusable, trans-acting molecule is involved in quelling. A transgene-derived, sense RNA was detected in quelled strains and was found to be absent in their revertants. These data are consistent with a model in which an RNA-DNA or RNA-RNA interaction is involved in transgene-induced gene silencing in Neurospora.     

Silencing of transgene expression in mammalian cells by DNA methylation and histone modifications in gene therapy perspective

DNA methylation and histone modifications are vital in maintaining genomic stability and modulating cellular functions in mammalian cells. These two epigenetic modifications are the most common gene regulatory systems known to spatially control gene expression. Transgene silencing by these two mechanisms is a major challenge to achieving effective gene therapy for many genetic conditions. The implications of transgene silencing caused by epigenetic modifications have been extensively studied and reported in numerous gene delivery studies. This review highlights instances of transgene silencing by DNA methylation and histone modification with specific focus on the role of these two epigenetic effects on the repression of transgene expression in mammalian cells from integrative and non-integrative based gene delivery systems in the context of gene therapy. It also discusses the prospects of achieving an effective and sustained transgene expression for future gene therapy applications.     

Virus‐induced gene silencing in transgenic plants: transgene silencing and reactivation associate with two patterns of transgene body methylation

We used bisulfite sequencing to study the methylation of a viral transgene whose expression was silenced upon plum pox virus infection of the transgenic plant and its subsequent recovery as a consequence of so‐called virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS). VIGS was associated with a general increase in the accumulation of small RNAs corresponding to the coding region of the viral transgene. After VIGS, the transgene promoter was not methylated and the coding region showed uneven methylation, with the 5′ end being mostly unmethylated in the recovered tissue or mainly methylated at CG sites in regenerated silenced plants. The methylation increased towards the 3′ end, which showed dense methylation in all three contexts (CG, CHG and CHH). This methylation pattern and the corresponding silenced status were maintained after plant regeneration from recovered silenced tissue and did not spread into the promoter region, but were not inherited in the sexual offspring. Instead, a new pattern of methylation was observed in the progeny plants consisting of disappearance of the CHH methylation, similar CHG methylation at the 3′ end, and an overall increase in CG methylation in the 5′ end. The latter epigenetic state was inherited over several generations and did not correlate with transgene silencing and hence virus resistance. These results suggest that the widespread CG methylation pattern found in body gene bodies located in euchromatic regions of plant genomes may reflect an older silencing event, and most likely these genes are no longer silenced.     

MAP30 transgenic tobacco lines: from silencing to inducing

Molecular Biology Reports - DNA methylation is one of the most important epigenetic event that regulates gene expression. In addition to DNA methylation, transgene copy number may induce gene...     

Studies on the effects of a flanking repetitive sequence on the expression of single-copy transgenes in Nicotiana sylvestris and in N. sylvestris-N. tomentosiformis hybrids

To test the influence of a Nicotiana tomentosiformis repetitive sequence (R8.3) on transgene expression in N. sylvestris and in N. sylvestris-N. tomentosiformis hybrids, the R8.3 sequence was placed upstream of a nopaline synthase promoter (NOSpro)-NPTII reporter gene in a T-DNA construct. A number of transgenic N. sylvestris lines were produced and in most, the NPTII gene was expressed. In one line, however, the NPTII gene became silenced and methylated in the NOSpro region. The silenced locus was able to trans-inactivate and induce methylation of two stably expressed transgene loci comprising a similar construct. Nucleotide sequence analyses of the three transgene loci revealed that they each contained a single incomplete copy of the T-DNA, which had sustained deletions of varying sizes in the R8.3 region. Paradoxically, the R8.3 DNA upstream of the two active, unmethylated NOSpro-NPTII genes was highly methylated, whereas the R8.3 DNA upstream of the silenced, methylated NOSpro-NPTII gene was less methylated. The methylated portions of the R8.3 sequence corresponded to retroelement remnants. An active NOSpro-NPTII gene downstream of a nearly intact R8.3 sequence did not become methylated in N. sylvestris-N. tomentosiformis hybrids. Thus, methylation in the R8.3 sequence did not spread into adjoining transgene promoters and the effect of the R8.3 dispersed repeat family on transgene expression was negligible. The silencing phenomena observed with the three single-copy transgene loci are discussed in the context of other possible triggers of silencing.