A novel gene encoding a ras-like GTP-binding protein from Trypanosoma brucei: an evolutionary ancestor of the ras and rap genes of higher eukaryotes?

The ras superfamily of GTP binding proteins encompasses a wide range of family members, related by conserved amino-acid motifs, and act as molecular binary switches that play key roles in cellular processes. Gene duplication and divergence has been postulated as the mechanism by which such family members have evolved their specific functions. We have cloned and sequenced a ras-like gene, tbrlp, from the primitive eukaryote Trypanosoma brucei. The gene encodes a protein of 227 amino acids and contains the six conserved subdomains that designate it as a ras/rap subfamily member. However, the presence of key diagnostic residues characteristic of both the ras and rap families of GTP confuse the familial classification of this gene. Phylogenetic analysis of the GTP binding domain places its origins at the divergence point of the ras/rap families and suggests that tbrlp is an ancestral gene to the ras/rap genes of higher eukaryotes.     

Membrane protein kinase C activity rapidly increases in quiescent tsRSV-infected NRK cells upon reactivation of the mitogenic v-src protein kinase

The viral src protein kinase, pp60^v-src, is a powerful intracellular mitogen which can initiate and maintain the proliferation of quiescent cells in the absence of any exogenous growth factors. In an attempt to understand how pp60^v-src induces proliferation, we examined the early events in the G₀ to G₁ transition caused by the activation of a thermolabile v-src protein in quiescent, serum-starved tsRSV-transformed NRK cells. The reactivation of pp60^v-src, in the presence of exogenous growth factors, triggered a rapid biphasic surge of membrane-associated protein kinase C (PKC) activity. Unlike TPA-stimulated PKC activity, the pp60^v-src-induced increase in PKC was readily extracted from membranes by EGTA. The down-regulation of PKC activity in these quiescent cells by prolonged exposure to TPA strongly inhibited the ability of the reactivated v-src protein to stimulate DNA replication in serum-deficient medium, suggesting that PKC plays a role in the initial signal by which the viral enzyme induces the G₀ to G₁ transition in NRK cells.     

A dot-blot screening procedure for mutated ras oncogenes using synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides

To analyze human tumors for the presence of mutated ras oncogenes, a procedure was developed based on selective hybridization of mutation-specific oligodeoxynucleotide probes to genomic DNA [Bos et al., Nucl. Acids Res. 12 (1984) 9155–9163]. We have improved this procedure both in sensitivity and speed by including an in vitro amplification step of ras-specific sequences. This amplification step has first been described by Saiki et al. [ Science 230 (1985) 1350–1353] and results in a more than 10⁴-fold increase in the sequence which might contain the mutation. Furthermore, we have improved the selectivity of our hybridizations. As a result, mutated ras oncogenes can now be detected with a dot-blot screening procedure requiring less than 1 μg of tumor DNA.     

The stability of mutator (MR)-induced X-chromosomal recessive visible mutations in Drosophila melanogaster

In Drosophila, MR (male recombination) second chromosomes are known to act as mutators and recombination inducers in males. The induction of visible mutations by MR is observed at only a limited number of genes, such as singed bristle (sn). raspberry eye colour (ras), yellow body colour (y) and carmine eye colour (car). Futhermore, sn mutations induced by MR are highly unstable, changing from a strong to a weak expression or reverting to the wild-type. It has been hypothesized, by analogy with IS mutations in microorganism, that MR-induced mutations also represent mutations of the insertion type.

In this investigation the stability of two MR-hl22-induced X-linked visible mutations was tested, one singed (sn^MR) and one raspberry (ras^MR). The reversion frequency of both MR-induced mutations was low in the base population as well as upon outcrossing to C(1)DX, y^w f females. The data reported here show that the MR-induced mutations become highly unstable when MR is re-introduced. The change of expression of an MR-induced mutation to a weaker phenotype or to the wild-type occurred at a frequency of 3.3 × 10⁻³ (ras) to 20.4 × 10⁻ (sn).

Recessive lethal mutations induced by MR in the X-chromosomes carrying the MR-inducedsinged or raspberry mutation were isolated and analysed. Among 11 independently MR-induced lethals in the ras^MR-carrying X-chromosome, 4 were found to be allelic to a small deficiency that included the raspberry gene, 13 lethals were induced by MR in the sn^MR-carrying X-chromosome. Of these, 3 were located near the sn locus but none was allelic to a deficiency including the singed gene.     

Altered metabolism of glutathione in cells transformed by oncogenes which cause resistance to ionizing radiations

We measured glutathione (GSH) metabolism in normal NIH/3T3 fibroblasts, and in cells transformed by the oncogenes sis, erbB, src, ras, dbl, and raf.erbB,src,ras and raf, but not sis and dbltransformants, showed increased level of total and reduced GSH as compared with normal NIH/3T3 fibroblasts; oxidized GSH was elevated only in src- and ras-transformed cells. Increased total GSH content was associated with decreased activity of the synthetic enzyme γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase, and oxidized GSH level with increased activity of GSH reductase. These data suggest that GSH synthesis was selectively enhanced in cells transformed by specific oncogenes, with resulting down-regulation of its synthetic enzyme; alterations of GSH metabolism appeared to be peculiar of transformation by specific oncogenes, and not trivial epiphenomena of neoplastic transformation. Oncogenic transformants that presented elevated level of GSH were also those reported to be resistant to antineoplastic drugs and ionizing radiations, thus confirming a possible link between altered GSH metabolism and resistance to antineoplastic treatment.     

K-ras Gene Mutation Related to Histological Atypias in Human Colorectal Adenomas

To investigate the relationship of oncogene analysis to morphology, we analyzed K-ras gene mutations by dot-blot hybridization with and without consideration of histological atypias in individual colorectal adenomas. Each of 54 colon polyps were divided into two parts after fixation. One part was used as a mass to assess point mutations; the remaining portion of each polyp was paraffin-embedded, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and examined for point mutations related to histological atypias. In the first part of our study, K-ras gene mutations at codon 12 were detected in 13 cases (24%). In the second part of our study, 12 cases had distinctly different histological atypias. From each of these 12 cases, two areas, one with higher or one with lower grade atypia in the same polyp were excised to analyze for K-ras gene mutation. Two of these 12 cases (17%) had the mutation in different areas of the same tumor. These two cases contained the mutation only in the areas with higher grade atypia, and only one case added information regarding ras mutation upon microdissection when compared to the entire biopsy. These results suggest that oligonucleotide hybridization can identify the majority of cases containing ras mutations despite regional morphologic variation. Individual cases, however, may contain clonal subpopulations within adenomas with different ras sequences from other regions within the same adenoma.     

Mechanisms and pathogenesis of thyroid cancer in animals and man

The transformation of the normal fully differentiated thyroid follicular cell to the rapidly growing undifferentiated anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cell involves a number of stages which have been defined morphologically and are now being related to various growth pathways and to molecular biological defects. The two main factors involved in this transformation are growth stimulation and mutagenesis. Growth stimulation alone, through elevated TSH, can lead to the development of thyroid tumours, usually benign, and retaining TSH dependency in some cases. Mutagens alone, if growth is suppressed, do not produce tumours, the combination of mutagens and increased growth is a potent carcinogenic regime. Non-genotoxic carcinogenesis in the thyroid involves growth, without mutagenesis the agent often causes this through affecting one component of thyroid hormone synthesis or metabolism, leading to a fall in thyroid hormone levels and a rise in TSH. Growth stimulation increases the rate of cell division, and therefore increases the chance of a mutation. Continued growth increases the change of subsequent events, in particular loss of heterozygosity in a tumour suppressor gene. The main oncogenes involved in human thyroid carcinogens are ras in the follicular tumour pathway, and ret in the papillary carcinoma pathway. p53 is involved in the progression of either papillary or follicular adenoma to an undifferentiated carcinoma. In experimental thyroid carcinogenesis, ras is again involved, with a link between the mutagenic agent used and the type of ras gene showing mutation. Analysis of the involvement of different growth factors and oncogenes in thyroid carcinogenesis suggests that genes related to the two receptors concerned with normal TSH stimulated growth, TSH receptor and the IGF1 recpptor may be involved in the progression of thyroid tumours of follicular pathology. Several tyrosine kinase receptors with unknown ligands or of uncertain physiological function are linked to papillary carcinoma. The recent large increase in papillary carcinoma of the thyroid in children exposed to fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear accident underlines the importance of understanding the pathobiology of thyroid neoplasia.     

The ras superfamily of small GTP-binding proteins

Considerable advances have recently been made in understanding the structure and function of the proteins encoded by the ras proto-oncogenes. In addition, a large number of ras-related small GTP-binding proteins with very diverse activities have now been identified. This review explores developments in this rapidly expanding field.     

Isolation and characterization of the yeast aspartyl-tRNA synthetase gene

A yeast genomic library in Escherichia coli, constructed by insertion of Sau3A restriction fragments into the hybrid Saccharomyces cerevisiae-E. coli plasmid pFL1, was screened by a radioimmunoassay (RIA) for colonies expressing yeast aspartyl-tRNA synthetase (AspRS). Four clones were isolated by this technique. Data obtained by Southern and restriction analysis of the inserts showed a common 3.8-kb BamHI restriction fragment which, when inserted into the plasmid pFLl, gave a positive RIA. Several controls showed that this 3.8-kb insert codes for the entire AspRS : (i) S. cerevisiae transformed by the PFL1 plasmid carrying the 3.8-kb fragment overproduces AspRS activity by a factor of ten compared to the wild-type yeast strain; and (ii) a new protein with electrophoretic behaviour similar to AspRS and immuno-reactive toward anti-AspRS appears in crude extracts of transformed yeast and E. coli.     

The Ha-ras-induced transformed phenotype of rat-1 cells can be suppressed in hybrids with rat embryonic fibroblasts

Somatic cell hybrids were isolated from fusions of diploid embryonic rat fibroblasts with transformed Rat-1 cells which contained 4 to 5 copies of the transforming human Ha-ras 1 gene. In contrast to their transformed parental cells four hybrid clones showed normal morphology, long latency periods of tumorigenicity in newborn rats, anchorage requirement of proliferation, and an eightfold-reduced amount of secreted transforming growth factor activity. Thus these hybrids are called suppressed with regard to expression of the Ha-ras-induced transformed phenotype. Tumorigenic derivatives of the suppressed hybrids that had segregated chromosomes were isolated. Since two of the tumorigenic hybrid clones showed the similar low level of secreted transforming growth factors as the suppressed hybrids, decreased production of transforming growth factor activity is unlikely to be a sufficient criterion for suppression of malignancy. Whereas one of the suppressed hybrids expressed the transforming gene product p21 at a level similar to that of the transformed parental cells, other suppressed hybrids expressed less p21. This suggests that the suppressed phenotype can be regulated at the posttranslational level of p21 but that additional controls of expression of p21 are likely to exist. DNA of the suppressed hybrids transformed Rat-1 cells to proliferation in the presence of semisolid agar. Thus the activated human Ha-ras gene in the suppressed hybrids retained its biological activity even though it did not transform these cells to tumorigenicity.     

Mutagenesis and carcinogenesis in nucleotide excision repair-deficient XPA knock out mice

Mice with a defect in the xeroderma pigmentosum group A (XPA) gene have a complete deficiency in nucleotide excision repair (NER). As such, these mice mimic the human XP phenotype in that they have a >1000-fold higher risk of developing UV-induced skin cancer. Besides being UV-sensitive, XPA^−/− mice also develop internal tumors when they are exposed to chemical carcinogens. To investigate the effect of a total NER deficiency on the induction of gene mutations and tumor development, we crossed XPA^−/− mice with transgenic lacZ/pUR288 mutation-indicator mice. The mice were treated with various agents and chemicals like UV-B, benzo[a]pyrene and 2-aceto-amino-fluorene. Gene mutation induction in several tumor target- and non-target tissues was determined in both the bacterial lacZ reporter gene and in the endogenous Hprt gene. Furthermore, alterations in the p53- and ras genes were determined in UV-induced skin tumors of XPA^−/− mice. In this work, we review these results and discuss the applicability and reliability of enhanced gene mutant frequencies as early indicators of tumorigenesis.     

谷子SiRLK35基因克隆及功能分析

为探讨谷子(Setaria italica L.)耐旱抗逆机制,解析类受体蛋白激酶(receptor like protein kinase, RLKs)基因功能,进而为培育谷子抗逆新品种提供依据,本文以干旱处理的谷子“豫谷1号”为材料,通过iTRAQ技术筛选到1个干旱响应的类受体蛋白激酶基因,命名为SiRLK35。以谷子RNA反转录的单链cDNA为模板,经PCR扩增获取SiRLK35基因全长序列。应用qRT-PCR方法,对SiRLK35在NaCl、PEG、ABA、GA、MeJA等不同处理下的表达模式进行分析。进一步构建基因原核表达载体pET28a-SiRLK35,结合斑点法对SiRLK35的抗盐能力进行初步评价。同时构建过表达载体pCAMBIA1301P-SiRLK35转化水稻,并对转基因植株抗盐能力进行检测。结果显示：胁迫及激素处理均可不同程度诱导SiRLK35基因的表达;斑点法研究结果显示,在相同NaCl浓度的LB平板上,含有SiRLK35基因的原核表达载体的大肠杆菌菌株生长状态较阴性对照好,SiRLK35具有一定的抗盐能力;获得的转SiRLK35基因水稻植株对盐胁迫的耐受性高于对照。SiRLK35基因对不同胁迫均可以产生响应,但对盐胁迫的响应较为明显,推测该基因可能在谷子的抗盐及抗逆过程中发挥作用。     

构树转录因子BpbZIP1的鉴定及镉胁迫响应分析

重金属污染不仅影响土壤有效面积,限制植被分布,也会对食物链和人体健康造成危害,其中镉（Cd）污染尤为突出。选择重金属耐受性强的植物应用于尾矿区的土壤修复亟待进行。构树（Broussonetia papyrifera）是重金属污染土壤的先锋树种,为探明构树响应重金属胁迫的分子机制,本研究从构树中克隆获得1个碱性亮氨酸拉链（basic leucine zipper,bZIP）转录因子（命名为BpbZIP1）,对其基本生物信息、Cd胁迫响应及转化酵母的功能进行分析,预测BpbZIP1响应Cd的功能。结果显示,BpbZIP1基因开放阅读框长1 713 bp,编码的蛋白含570个氨基酸,分子量为62 902.38 Da,等电点为4.62。与拟南芥（Arabidopsis thaliana）AtbZIP1具有较近的进化关系。在150 μmol·L^-1 CdCl₂处理下,BpbZIP1基因能被不同程度的诱导表达,在3 h时BpbZIP1在根中的表达为对照的17.4倍。将BpbZIP1转入酵母能显著提高转基因酵母的抗Cd能力,当浓度高于0.6%时,转基因酵母的生长活力是对照的1.54~1.71倍。以上结果表明BpbZIP1基因能积极响应Cd胁迫,其表达可改善Cd胁迫耐受力,是构树Cd胁迫响应的重要基因。     

In vitro activation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ras/adenylate cyclase system by glucose and some of its analogues

Using crude membrane preparations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we have demonstrated that glucose and glucose analogues which are not efficiently phosphorylated activate the guanine nucleotide-dependent adenylate cyclase in vitro. The activation appears to be mediated by the Ras proteins. Moreover, data are presented indicating that glucose and its analogues activate adenylate cyclase by stimulating the exchange of guanine nucleotides at its regulatory component. Thus, it has been possible to show the action of a physiological effector on the nucleotide exchange reaction in a member of the ras superfamily.     

刺槐核糖体蛋白同源基因RpRPL22在共生结瘤过程中功能研究

目的: 核糖体蛋白(RPs)属于多功能蛋白,能够参与调控细胞生长和响应胁迫条件。RpRPL22是一个从豆科植物刺槐中分离得到的结瘤相关基因,通过序列比对发现其与核糖体大亚基蛋白RPL22高度同源。对其如何通过调控根瘤菌侵染而在共生结瘤过程中发挥重要作用进行了较为深入的探索。方法: 利用实时荧光定量PCR技术(qRT-PCR)分析RpRPL22在接菌后不同时间及不同植物组织的表达变化。利用cDNA末端快速扩增技术(RACE)获得目的基因cDNA全长。通过GFP报告基因进行RpRPL22亚细胞定位分析。通过Gateway BP重组技术构建RNA干扰(RNAi)重组载体,借助电转化法将重组载体转至农杆菌K599,利用农杆菌介导植物根部,接菌后观察和测量植株表型。首先从宏观水平统计观察目的基因是否对结瘤过程有影响,其次从分子水平揭示目的基因在共生结瘤过程的重要功能。结果: 不同接菌时期、不同植物组织目的基因qRT-PCR相对表达量结果显示,几乎在所有取样的接菌时间,目的基因RpRPL22在接菌根中的相对表达量都低于未接菌对照根,只有接菌后第25天除外。在成熟的根瘤中,接菌后第25天该基因的表达量也最高。洋葱表皮和毛状根亚细胞定位结果均显示在椰菜花叶病毒(CaMV)的35S启动子控制下,RpRPL22融合绿色荧光蛋白GFP的荧光信号在细胞核和细胞质有明显的表达。RNAi转化植株的表型统计观察结果,比如植株鲜重、植株的有效结瘤数目较对照组均有明显的降低;同时RNAi转化植株在根瘤菌侵染过程形成的侵染线数目和根瘤原基数目较对照均显著降低。根瘤切片实验用于观察根瘤显微超微结构,结果显示RNAi植株根瘤中固氮区的受菌侵染细胞数目与对照相比明显减少。电镜观察根瘤单个受菌侵染细胞中类菌体形态显示,RNAi根瘤中类菌体侵染细胞胞体多呈不规则形状,皱缩变形严重,环类菌体周间隙空间增大,多共生体融合,表现出细胞凋亡的迹象。对照根瘤中的受菌侵染细胞胞体多呈圆形椭圆形,胞质饱满丰富且分布均匀,细胞发育正常,表明RNAi植株根瘤发育过程明显受阻。结论: 核糖体蛋白(RP)能够参与调控豆科植物共生结瘤过程,相关同源基因RpRPL22可能在起始根瘤菌侵染植物和阻止类菌体降解过程中起重要作用。     

Poly-γ-glutamate depolymerase of Bacillus subtilis: production, simple purification and substrate selectivity

The Bacillus subtilis pgdS gene, which is located at the immediate downstream of the pgs operon for poly-γ-glutamate (PGA) biosynthesis, encodes a PGA depolymerase. The pgdS gene product shows the structural feature of a membrane-associated protein. The mature form of the gene product, identified as a B. subtilis extracellular protein, was produced in Escherichia coli clone cells. Since the mature PGA depolymerase has been modified with the histidine-tag at its C-terminus, it could be simply purified by metal-chelating affinity chromatography. This purified enzyme digested PGAs from B. subtilis ( -glutamate content, 70%) and from Bacillus megaterium (30%) in an endopeptidase-like fashion. In contrast, PGA from Natrialba aegyptiaca, which consists only of -glutamate, was resistant to the enzyme, suggesting that, unlike fungal PGA endo-depolymerases, the bacterial enzyme recognizes the -glutamate unit in PGA.     

The human dynamin-related protein OPA1 is anchored to the mitochondrial inner membrane facing the inter-membrane space

We have examined the effect of transforming growth factor β₁ (TGF-β₁) and overexpression of the Smad4 gene on the phenotype of Car C, a ras mutated highly malignant spindle carcinoma cell line. TGF-β₁-treated Car C cells overexpressing Smad4 spread with a flattened morphology with membrane ruffles abundant in vinculin and show a reduction in their invasive abilities. TGF-β₁ treatment and overexpression of Smad4 also enhanced the production of PAI-1 measured by the activation of the p3TP-lux reporter gene containing a PAI-1-related promoter. This activation was abolished with a dominant-negative Smad4 construct. These results lead us to conclude that both TGF-β₁ and Smad4 overexpression reduce the invasive potential of Car C cells, probably via the Smad pathway.     

美洲大蠊内生菌几丁质酶基因的克隆、表达及其活性研究 *

Objective: To clone the chitinase gene ChiA from the endophytes of Periplaneta americana soluble expression of the protein and to identify its function.Methods:The chitinase gene ChiA was amplified by PCR from the DNA of Serratia marcescens,which was separated from the gut of Periplaneta americana and obtained by subcloning. The expression plasmid ChiA/pET21b was constructed and analyzed by bioinformatics. The plasmid was transformed into E. coli BL21(DE3) and the postive strains were induced by IPTG at 20℃ for 20h. The bioactivity of the protein was determined by small punch test.Results:The cloned sequence was associated with Serratia marcescens ChiA gene of GenBank and their homology was 99%. The sequence encoded a protein containing of 571 amino acids and expressed stably in prokaryotic system.SDS-PAGE/Western blot show that the soluble target protein was obtained. The small punch test suggested that the target protein had the activity of decomposing chitin and was stronger than that of the Serratia marcescens.Conclusion:The chitinase gene ChiA of the Serratia marcescens from the gut of Periplaneta americana was cloned successfully. The soluble chitinase that shows marked bioactivity was attained by prokaryotic expression system, which has provided theoretical basis for its further application.     

抗菌肽Cec4a的重组表达和抗菌活性研究*

目的:构建Cec4a的原核重组表达体系,通过诱导表达、酶切纯化获得重组蛋白,并检测产物的抗菌活性。方法:基于Cec4a的序列设计引物,克隆Cec4a基因的DNA片段。利用原核表达载体(pCold-SUMO)构建重组原核表达质粒,并将其转化到大肠杆菌C41(DE3)等感受态细胞,使用IPTG进行诱导表达。通过Ni-NTA亲和层析柱纯化,获得含有His-SUMO标签的重组Cec4a融合蛋白。在SUMO蛋白酶酶切后,再次使用Ni-NTA亲和层析纯化,得到目的蛋白,最后用鲍曼不动杆菌(ATCC19606)作为指示菌检测表达产物的抗菌活性。结果:成功构建pCold-SUMO-Cec4a原核表达质粒,测序分析其序列与预期结果一致。Cec4a融合蛋白表达量为42.8mg/L,纯化后的Cec4a重组蛋白对鲍曼不动杆菌的MIC为4 μg/mL。结论:通过原核表达,并经Ni-NTA亲和层析纯化,获得了具有抗菌活性的重组蛋白Cec4a,为研究Cec4a的生物活性、抗菌机制及应用奠定了基础。     

利用CRISPR/Cas9双基因敲除系统初步解析大豆GmSnRK1.1和GmSnRK1.2对ABA及碱胁迫的响应

蔗糖非发酵相关激酶(sucrose non-fermenting related protein kinases, SnRKs)是广泛存在于植物中的一类Ser/Thr蛋白激酶,在植物的生长、发育、代谢和抗逆等方面具有重要调节作用。大豆(Glycine max L.)基因组中含有4个SnRK1同源基因,其中GmSnRK1.1和GmSnRK1.2为两个主要表达基因,可能参与大豆多种抗逆途径。为解析大豆GmSnRK1.1和GmSnRK1.2对ABA及碱胁迫的响应,本研究构建了双靶点CRISPR载体定向敲除GmSnRK1.1和GmSnRK1.2基因,利用发根农杆菌(Agrobacterium rhizogenes)介导大豆遗传转化,获得双基因敲除突变体毛状根,经测序鉴定双基因突变率为48.6%;同时,利用实验室前期构建的植物超量表达载体获得超量表达GmSnRK1基因大豆毛状根。经25 μmol/L ABA处理15 d,对照组和超量表达毛状根的生长受到明显抑制,其根长与根鲜重均显著低于双基因敲除突变体毛状根;经50 mmol/L NaHCO₃处理15 d,对照组和双基因敲除突变体毛状根的生长受到明显抑制,其根长与根鲜重均显著低于超量表达毛状根。本研究建立的CRISPR/Cas9系统能够有效地对大豆进行GmSnRK1.1和GmSnRK1.2双基因敲除,基因敲除突变降低了植物对ABA的敏感性及对碱胁迫的耐性,研究结果初步说明SnRK1激酶在植物响应非生物胁迫中具有重要作用。