长毛明对虾酚氧化酶原基因cDNA克隆及组织表达分析

酚氧化酶(phenoloxidase,PO)属于对虾免疫系统的核心酶,在机体抵抗微生物感染过程中起到重要的作用。本研究利用RT-PCR和RACE技术克隆长毛明对虾(Fenneropenaeus penicillatus)酚氧化酶原(prophenoloxidase,proPO)基因(F-proPO)。cDNA全长3 003 bp,包含63 bp的5′-UTR、879 bp的3′-UTR和编码686个氨基酸的2 061 bp的开放阅读框(ORF),预测分子量为78.05 kD,理论等电点(pI)为5.79;含有3个串联式血蓝蛋白结构功能域、2个保守的Cu~(2+)结合位点和6个组氨酸残基;多重比对结果表明,F-proPO与中国明对虾proPO相似度最高(98%),与其他甲壳类动物proPO相似度为51%～93%。实时荧光定量PCR检测结果表明,该基因的表达具有组织特异性,在血淋巴中表达量最高。人工感染溶藻弧菌后,该基因在鳃、血淋巴、肠和性腺中表达水平显著上调;人工感染白斑综合征病毒后,该基因在脑、鳃、心、血淋巴和肠中表达水平显著上调。可见,长毛明对虾PO是参与机体免疫防御反应的一种重要分子。     

棉铃虫酚氧化酶原基因的克隆、序列分析和组织表达

利用RT-PCR和RACE方法,获得了棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera酚氧化酶原(prophenoloxidase,PPO)基因一个亚型cDNA的完整序列。该序列全长2 405 bp,含有一个2 097 bp的开放阅读框,编码一个由698个氨基酸残基组成的蛋白质。推导的氨基酸序列与其他鳞翅目昆虫PPO2基因相应氨基酸序列有较高的同源性(76％～80％),同时该序列具有铜离子结合位点等PPO基因所具有的典型特征。组织特异性表达分析表明,该基因在棉铃虫血细胞、体壁和中肠中均有表达。     

野桑蚕酚氧化酶原基因cDNA的分子克隆及其特征

酚氧化酶在昆虫的免疫防御机制中起着重要作用。利用RT-PCR和RACE方法,克隆了野桑蚕酚氧化酶原基因,获得了其cDNA序列。该序列长2 134 bp,含有一个2 082 bp的完整开放阅读框,编码一个由693个氨基酸残基组成的蛋白质。推导的氨基酸序列与其他鳞翅目昆虫PPO2基因相应氨基酸序列有较高的同源性,该序列具有它们的PPO基因所共有的典型特征。组织特异性表达分析表明了该基因在野桑蚕5龄幼虫的血细胞、体壁、头部、精巢、卵巢、脂肪体和中肠等组织及其不同的发育阶段均有表达。这些结果为进一步研究野桑蚕酚氧化酶原基因的功能提供了分子基础。     

红螯螯虾酚氧化酶原及其特性研究

采用同源克隆策略和RACE技术, 从红螯螯虾Cherax quadricarinatus血细胞中克隆得到酚氧化酶原基因的全长cDNA序列, 共2951 bp, 开放读码框为1995 bp, 编码665个氨基酸. 预测的分子量和等电点分别为75.7 kD和6.23. 酚氧化酶原含有两个推测的tyrosinase copper-binding motifs (带有六个组氨酸残基)和一个thiol-ester-like motif, 这些特征和其他甲壳动物的酚氧化酶原特征相同. 红螯螯虾酚氧化酶原氨基酸序列与通讯螯虾Pacifastacus leniusculus、欧洲龙虾Homarus gammarus、美洲龙虾Homarus americanus 和克氏原螯虾Procambarus clarkii 酚氧化酶原的相似率分别为68%、63%、63%和59%. 酚氧化酶原基因双酶切后连接入pET-28a原核表达载体, 转化到大肠杆菌BL21后重组表达酚氧化酶原蛋白. 在重组蛋白纯化后, 免疫新西兰大耳兔制备得到的酚氧化酶原多克隆抗体, 其效价大于1:12800. 红螯螯虾血淋巴、肝和鳃组织中的酚氧化酶原mRNA表达和酚氧化酶活性较高, 而神经、心、肠和肌肉中较低. 中华绒螯蟹螺原体和嗜水气单胞菌免疫红螯螯虾后, 血淋巴细胞、肝和鳃组织中的酚氧化酶原和酚氧化酶活性在免疫后的不同时间均出现了显著性的增加, 此结果表明酚氧化酶原和酚氧化酶在红螯螯虾对抗细菌感染的过程中起到重要的免疫作用. 此结果为进一步深入研究酚氧化酶原基因和酚氧化酶的功能及其调控机理奠定基础.       

刺五加鲨烯合酶基因cDNA的克隆与序列分析

采用改良的异硫氰酸胍法提取刺五加总RNA,逆转录为cDNA,根据已报道的人参鲨烯合酶基因(squalene synthase gene,SS) cDNA序列设计引物,利用RT-PCR法克隆刺五加SS基因的cDNA序列.克隆得到长度为1258 bp的刺五加SS基因cDNA序列,开放阅读框全长1248 bp,编码415个氨基酸残基,GenBank登录号为HQ456918,与人参的SS1、SS2和SS3氨基酸序列一致性分别为91.73％、97.59％和96.63％.首次分离并报道了刺五加SS基因cDNA序列,为刺五加苷生物合成中关键酶的表达分析及调控机理研究提供参考.     

脊尾白虾血蓝蛋白大亚基基因的克隆及表达分析

应用RACE技术克隆脊尾白虾血蓝蛋白大亚基基因, 并通过攻毒实验揭示脊尾白虾血蓝蛋白基因的先天免疫防御作用, 为脊尾白虾(Exopalaemon carinicauda)的免疫防治研究提供依据和思路。研究成功克隆了脊尾白虾血蓝蛋白大亚基基因全长cDNA序列, 该大亚基cDNA全长 2192 bp, 开放式阅读框长 2034 bp, 5′非编码区长 21 bp, 3′非编码区长 137 bp, 将该基因命名为 EcHcL。EcHcL编码 667 个氨基酸, 前 21 个氨基酸组成信号肽, 推测成熟肽的分子量为 78.5 kD。Blast比对结果显示, 由脊尾白虾血蓝蛋白EcHcL序列推导的氨基酸序列与日本沼虾、凡纳滨对虾血蓝蛋白氨基酸序列的同源性分别达到 87%、73%, 其M结构域氨基酸序列与斑节对虾、日本对虾等物种同源性性高达 90% 左右, 由此推断该cDNA序列属于血蓝蛋白家族。组织表达分析结果显示, EcHcL基因在脊尾白虾鳃、卵巢、肝胰腺、心脏、肠、肌肉、胃、腹神经节、眼柄、血细胞中均有表达, 肝胰腺中相对表达量最高。Real-time PCR分析发现EcHcL基因在金黄色葡萄球菌、副溶血弧菌和对虾白斑综合征病毒(WSSV)感染后脊尾白虾肝胰腺和血细胞中的表达量显著增加, 并具有不同的时空表达模式, 推测脊尾白虾EcHcL基因在免疫防御中具有重要作用。     

脊尾白虾组织蛋白酶L基因的克隆及其表达分析

根据本实验室构建的脊尾白虾(Exopalaemon carinicauda)血细胞全长cDNA文库获得的EST序列,利用RACE技术克隆获得脊尾白虾组织蛋白酶L基因的cDNA全长,命名为EcCatL基因.该序列全长1136 bp,包括5'非编码区24 bp,开放阅读框960 bp和3'非编码区152 bp,开放阅读框共编码319个氨基酸,预测相对分子量为35.30×103,理论等电点为5.27.同源性分析表明,脊尾白虾组织蛋白酶LEcCatL氨基酸序列与其它甲壳动物高度保守,与变色小长臂虾(Palaemonetes varians)及北极甜虾(Pandalus borealis) CatL的同源性分别为92％和76％.系统进化分析表明,EcCatL基因氨基酸序列与变色小长臂虾的CatL聚为一支.荧光定量PCR分析结果表明,EcCatL基因在血细胞、鳃、肝胰腺、肌肉、卵巢、肠、胃及眼柄中均有表达,其中肝胰腺中的相对表达量最高.感染鳗弧菌及WSSV后6h和12h,脊尾白虾血细胞和肝胰腺中EcCatL的表达量较对照组均极显著增加(P＜0.01),且具有明显的时间差异性,表明EcCatL基因在脊尾白虾免疫反应中具有重要作用.     

内蒙古白绒山羊IGF-IR基因cDNA克隆及组织表达特异性分析

旨在克隆内蒙古白绒山羊IGF-IR基因并分析其基本表达模式.采用RT-PCR克隆基因,将得到的IGF-IR基因cDNA片段的核苷酸序列及其编码的氨基酸序列进行生物信息学分析.半定量RT-PCR进行组织特异性表达检测.获得了内蒙古白绒山羊IGF-IR基因3’端编码区2118 bp的cDNA序列(JN200823),编码705个氨基酸残基.核苷酸序列与牛的IGF-IR( XM606794.3)基因同源性为98％,相应的氨基酸序列同源性为99％.SMART分析表明,推导出的编码蛋白具有跨膜域,酪氨酸激酶催化域.半定量RT-PCR检测表明,IGF-IR基因在绒山羊脑、胰腺、肝、肾组织中均有表达.     

猪CuZnSOD基因的克隆、表达及功能分析

为了进一步了解和认识CuZnSOD基因的结构和功能,揭示CuZnSOD对猪抗氧化机能的影响,寻找与肉质性状相关联的分子标记,文章采用RACE(Rapid amplification of cDNA end)方法,对莱芜猪CuZnSOD基因cDNA进行克隆测序,分析其结构和功能,并用Real-timePCR检测CuZnSOD基因的表达.结果表明,CuZnSOD基因cDNA序列全长658 bp(GenBank登录号:GU944822),包含76 bp的5'UTR和120 bp的3'UTR序列.全部CDS序列462 bp,编码153个氨基酸,分子量为15.9 kDa,等电点为6.03.CuZnSOD基因编码的氨基酸序列中,第3氨基酸残基处存在1个O-糖基化位点,第86氨基酸残基处存在1个N-糖基化位点.二级结构中α螺旋仅占1.31%.在进化过程中高度保守,与人、牛、小鼠和褐鼠的编码区同源性分别为87.74%、87.66%、83.44%和83.23%;氨基酸序列同源性分别为90.26%、94.12%、92.21%和91.50%.CuZnSOD存在典型的金属结合配体结构域(GFHVHQFGDNT).基于蛋白序列所构建的分子进化树表明猪与牛的亲缘关系最近.在mRNA水平上,CuZnSOD是一个广谱表达基因,在大脑、心脏、脾脏、肝脏、肾脏、肺、大肠、小肠、脊髓,肌肉、背膘和胃中都能检测到,其在肾脏,小肠和肺中表达量较高,在心脏和肌肉组织中表达量较低.     

向日葵ACC氧化酶基因(HaACO1)的克隆及表达分析

目的:克隆向日葵中的ACC氧化酶基因(HaACO1),并对其进行生物信息学分析及盐胁迫表达分析,为理解向日葵ACC氧化酶生理功能并加强对ACO基因的利用奠定基础。方法:以前期从盐胁迫的内葵杂4号根中获得的ACC氧化酶基因片段4-4-7TDF(KM823963)为基础,通过RT-PCR和5'/3'RACE技术克隆ACO基因的全长cDNA序列,利用生物信息学软件对获得的cDNA序列及编码的蛋白质序列进行分析。同时采用PCR方法克隆基因组DNA(genemic DNA,gDNA)序列,并对其进行结构分析。利用实时荧光定量PCR分析Na Cl胁迫下向日葵根、下胚轴、叶中HaACO1的表达量和不同NaCl浓度及不同胁迫时间下根中Ha ACO1的表达量。结果:Ha ACO1的cDNA序列全长为1 135bp,其开放阅读框为942bp,编码313个氨基酸。预测其分子质量和等电点分别为35.84k Da和5.13,基因登录号为KP966508。HaACO1与已报道的多种植物的ACO基因核苷酸序列及其推导的氨基酸序列有较高的相似性,分别为76%~83%和77%~88%。gDNA起始密码子至终止密码子序列长1 018bp,包含2个外显子和1个内含子,基因登录号为KP988289。实时荧光定量PCR分析表明向日葵HaACO1在不同器官及不同NaCl浓度、不同时间诱导下存在特异性表达差异。结论:获得的向日葵HaACO1是植物ACO家族成员之一,该基因应答盐胁迫具有独特的表达模式。     

A Unique Protease Cleavage Site Predicted in the Spike Protein of the Novel Pneumonia Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Potentially Related to Viral Transmissibility

正Dear Editor,In December 2019, a novel human coronavirus caused an epidemic of severe pneumonia(Coronavirus Disease 2019,COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei, China(Wu et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020). So far, this virus has spread to all areas of China and even to other countries. The epidemic has caused 67,102 confirmed infections with 1526 fatal cases     

Curcuminoids as inhibitors of thioredoxin reductase: A receptor based pharmacophore study with distance mapping of the active site

Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric that interacts irreversibly forming an adduct with thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an enzyme responsible for redox control of cell and defence against oxidative stress. Docking at both the active sites of TrxR was performed to compare the potency of three naturally occurring curcuminoids, namely curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin. Results show that active sites of TrxR occur at the junction of E and F chains. Volume and area of both cavities is predicted. It has been concluded by distance mapping of the most active conformations that Se atom of catalytic residue SeCYS498, is at a distance of 3.56 from C13 of demethoxy curcumin at the E chain active site, whereas C13 carbon atom forms adduct with Se atom of SeCys 498. We report that at least one methoxy group in curcuminoids is necessary for interation with catalytic residues of thioredoxin. Pharmacophore of both active sites of the TrxR receptor for curcumin and demethoxy curcumin molecules has been drawn and proposed for design and synthesis of most probable potent antiproliferative synthetic drugs.     

Comparative morphology of the carpel in the Liliaceae: Hewardieae, Petrosavieae, and Tricyrteae

The young pistils in the melanthioid tribes, Hewardieae, Petrosavieae and Tricyrteae, are uniformly tricarpellate and syncarpous. They lack raphide idioblasts. All are multiovulate, with bitegmic ovules. The Petrosavieae are marked by the presence of septal glands and incomplete syncarpy. Tepals and stamens adhere to the ovary in the Hewardieae and the Petrosavieae but not in the Tricyrteae. Two vascular bundles occur in the stamens of the Hewartlieae and Tricyrtis latifolia. Ventral bundles in the upper part of the ovary of the Hewardieae are continuous with compound septal bundles and placental bundles in the lower part. Putative ventral bundles occur in the alternate position in the Tricyrteae and putative placental bundles in the opposite. position in the Petrosavieae. The dichtomously branched stigma in each carpel of the Tricyrteae is supplied by a bifurcated dorsal bundle.     

Enterovirus 71 3C proteolytically processes the histone H3 N-terminal tail during infection

Highlights
1. The N-terminal tail of histone H3 is specifically cleaved during EV71 infection.
2. Viral protease 3C is identified as a protease responsible for proteolytically processing the N-terminal H3 tail.
3. Our finding reveals a new epigenetic regulatory mechanism for Enterovirus 71 in virus-host interactions.     

Detection of EBV and HHV6 in the Brain Tissue of Patients with Rasmussen’s Encephalitis

Rasmussen’s encephalitis (RE) is a rare pediatric neurological disorder, and the exact etiology is not clear. Viral infection may be involved in the pathogenesis of RE, but conflicting results have reported. In this study, we evaluated the expression of both Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpes virus (HHV) 6 antigens in brain sections from 30 patients with RE and 16 control individuals by immunohistochemistry. In the RE group, EBV and HHV6 antigens were detected in 56.7% (17/30) and 50% (15/30) of individuals, respectively. In contrast, no detectable EBV and HHV6 antigen expression was found in brain tissues of the control group. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in 20.0% (6/30) of individuals. In particular, a 4-year-old boy had a typical clinical course, including a medical history of viral encephalitis, intractable epilepsy, and hemispheric atrophy. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in neurons and astrocytes in the brain tissue, accompanied by a high frequency of CD8⁺ T cells. Our results suggest that EBV and HHV6 infection and the activation of CD8⁺ T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of RE.     

Perinatal Vertical Transmission of Chikungunya Virus in Ruili,a Town on the Border between China and Myanmar

正Dear Editor,Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an arbovirus in the family of Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus, is transmitted by the A.aegyptii or A. albopictus mosquito, and causes disease in humans characterized by fever, rash, and arthralgia (Silva and Dermody 2017; Suhrbier 2019). It was first reported in 1953 in Tanzania, and caused only a few outbreaks and sporadic cases in Africa and Asia in last century. However, in the epidemic in 2004, CHIKV acquired mutations that conferred enhanced transmission by the A. albopictus mosquito(Schuffenecker et al. 2006). Since then, it has successively caused outbreaks in Africa, the Indian Ocean, South East Asia, the South America, and Europe (Zeller et al. 2016).     

Development of a Novel Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Method for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2

In conclusion, the novel visual RT-LAMP assay is a simple, rapid, and sensitive approach for detection of SARS-CoV-2, and it is ready for application in primary care and community hospitals or health care centers, and even patients' own houses in response to the current SARS-CoV-2 epidemic because the assay does not require sophisticated equipment and skilled personnel. Furthermore, it is also ready to be used in fields for screening samples from wild animals and environments to facilitate the identification of potential intermediate hosts that mediate the cross-species transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from bats to humans.